Elizabeth Returns
by acclutch94
Summary: After two weeks away Matt and C.J. return to find Elizabeth needs their help finding out who is trying to kill her.  There are new enemies and a new relationship grows.  Most are not my characters, but those of the amazing Aaron Spelling.
1. Chapter 1

Elizabeth Returns

1

C.J. took her key out to go into the beach house. After inserting it she noticed, it wasn't locked. She furrowed her brow thinking it had to have to been locked, her and Matt had been away for the last two weeks and they made sure to lock up before they left with Vince Novelli to fly them all to Hawaii. Then she thought to herself, 'Roy must have left it open last night when he came by to check on the place.' She was about to open it, when he came up behind her, grabbing her by the waist.

"You didn't make it in fast enough..." she heard Matt say and then began tickling her. She started laughing and kicking her legs. He was relentless and laughing himself. Their time together away was just what the two needed and had acted like kids almost the entire time in Hawaii, in Tahiti, well...they definitely acted like two very happy, consenting adults on a mission.

She squealed out, "Stop! Please...I promise...I promise..." she turned in his arms, but before she could finish her sentence, he silenced her with a kiss. Then she continued, "I promise, I will acknowledge you as the supreme practical joker if you will just let me go."

Matt smiled back at C.J. and told her, "Fine...I'll let you go for now." He then drew her in for another long, intense kiss. Then frowned after she smiled at him and then turned around. Before relinquishing her to pick up her bag he whispered in her ear, "Tell me again, why we have to go into work this afternoon when we could be doing much more...productive things?" He started nibbling on her neck.

C.J. smiled and told him as she leaned back still in his arms, "Because, according to Chris some client, who won't identify herself really needs you." She turned back around and told him, "And I know what it's like to really need you..." They kissed again and she told him, "So, come on. The sooner we meet with the client, the sooner we get back to those more productive things." She winked, he released her, they picked up their bags and headed in.

They got in and started toward the stairs when Matt bumped into her chuckling, "Move it slow poke."

She chuckled back, "I'll move it as fast as I want to." They both laughed, until they saw her and froze.

Elizabeth was waiting at the top of the stairs. She just stood there and smiled a nervous smile.

Both Matt and C.J. just stopped. C.J. swallowed and was about to turn around when she heard Matt put down his bag and then felt him put his arm around her waist again.

Elizabeth said, "Hi Matt...I hope you don't mind...I still have a key." Matt and C.J. just looked at each other for a second. She continued, "The office told me, you and C.J. took off on some vacation again. I thought about waiting for you there, but...well...I just thought this would be better. I wanted to see you in private."

Matt started to say, "Elizabeth, I..."

C.J. could feel his grip tighten around her and turned around, "Matt, look, I'll take these upstairs and you can talk to Elizabeth."

Matt looked closely at C.J. knowing that his former fiancé standing in their home would bother her. He wanted to make sure C.J. knew who he loved and wanted in his life now. So he started, "No, C.J. you don't have to go anywhere. Anything she has to say to me, she can say to you. I..."

C.J. just smiled back and told him, '"No, really, its fine. I'll just be upstairs." She winked one more time and then smiled as she walked past Elizabeth with her bag.

Elizabeth then smiled at C.J. as she did her and told her, "It's good to see you again, C.J." Matt then started to walk up to her and she smiled and said, "I know I should probably wait until she leaves, but I just can't." She then threw herself into his arms and said, "I missed you so much."

Matt pulled her arms back and she looked puzzled. He started, "Elizabeth...C.J. and I..."

She interrupted him, "I know, I know. You two just got back and she's making herself comfortable in that spare bedroom. I just couldn't wait to see you. I made a huge mistake, Matt. I never should have left you." Then she tried to kiss him, but he pulled away from her and started to walk her into the living area overlooking the patio.

She sat down and thought that perhaps he just wanted to make sure C.J. wasn't able to see them and then giggled and said, "You never were shy, but I understand. She still has feelings for you I'm sure. Look, why don't we tell her we're going to get something to eat and then head over to my house. Its not that far, I..."

Matt then interrupted her, needing to clearly set things straight, "Elizabeth, C.J. and I married 6 months ago." She looked horrified and about to cry but he continued, "I don't know what you needed to see me for, but if it's to get back together, I can't. I'm in love with C.J. and I can't and won't do anything to jeopardize what I have with her."

Elizabeth blinked a couple of times and then swallowed herself. She told him, "I just...I just didn't think you felt that way about her. You never seemed to act like you loved her when we were together and that was only..." She then stood up and turned back to Matt who was looking at her intently.

He was watching her, hoping she wasn't hurt too bad. Even though they had not married, he still felt for her. It just wasn't nearly as close to love as what he felt for C.J. Still, he didn't want to hurt her.

She turned back around and took his gaze another way and then completed her sentence, "that was only 6 months ago. You married her right after I left?" Elizabeth looked down and said with a small smile, "You married her because you couldn't be with me, didn't you? But we can be together now, I realized..."

Matt shook his head and stood up walking to her and putting his hands on her shoulders, "No, that's not why I married her Elizabeth. I married her because I love her and I can't imagine my life without her in it, as my wife. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but she's who I want to be with, whether or not you were wanting to take me back. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth looked down again and swallowed, "Well then...don't worry about me. I'll take my business elsewhere." She started to walk off with tears in her eyes and Matt watched her. When she got about halfway down the stairs it hit him that she said business.

He looked confused and then stopped her, "Wait! What do you mean business?" Matt started down the stairs and met her.

She turned back to him and said, "Someone is trying to kill me. They've already tried twice. I came back because I realized that I have enemies too and that maybe together we could find out who this was, working together and then we would be together. I thought I could show you how I can handle danger myself, thinking you'd be proud of me."

Matt then slowly took her in his arms for a second as he could see she was rattled, and told her, "Come on, why don't we go back upstairs and you tell us everything and we'll figure this out and stop them. Alright?"

Elizabeth nodded and then said, "By us, you mean you and C.J., right?" She swallowed and then nodded, going back upstairs to the couch as Matt went to go get his wife.

C.J. had already unpacked her bags and looked at Matt's still sitting on the bed. She ran her hand over the bag and wondered what Elizabeth was telling her husband downstairs. Thinking back, she remembered how Matt seemed to take their breaking up before.

Matt broke her from her thoughts as he came in the room and sat down beside her on the bed. "I guess we know who that client was now." He took her hand and told her as she nodded her head, "Are you ok with this?"

C.J. looked at him and smiled, "Of course I am, Matt. I guess I'm just wondering if you are?"

Matt smiled, kissed her hand and said, "Yep, this is why I married you."

She looked confused and chuckled when she asked, "What do you mean this is why I married you?"

He told her, "Because, when any other woman I think would have been upset and not willing to help out her husband's former fiancé, you are not only willing but want to know how I feel about it too." Matt then softly put both hands on her cheeks and told her, "I love you, and only you. I know I've said this before, but I'm never leaving you." He kissed her for another minute.

Then he pulled back and put both his hands on her abdomen, smiled and said, "And you never know...we may already have that family on the way." He got a light in his eyes again and she smiled back at him.

She bit her lip and then said, "I hope so, I want that more than anything."

Matt took her in his arms again for another minute and told her not to worry. Then they got back up and went down to see Elizabeth who was using their phone.

"No, Kathleen, that's not how it went at all..." Elizabeth stopped and wiped her eyes when she saw Matt and C.J. walk around the corner, with their arms around each other. Then she ended the conversation, "I'll call you later from home." She put the phone back down and told them, "I hope you don't mind, but my friend wanted me to call when I got over here. She's been worried about me."

C.J. then spoke up and said, "No, we don't mind. Would you like something to drink, Elizabeth?" She nodded and asked for some hot tea. C.J. nodded and went to go get.

Matt then motioned to Elizabeth to sit down. "Now, tell me what's been going on."

Elizabeth nodded and took a deep breath before starting, "I went back to Dublin after I left you. I wanted to be close to my father I guess, where he's buried anyway." She started to sniffle so Matt handed her a tissue and then urged her to go on. "I was a mess after leaving you. I would relive our last few weeks together over and over in my mind, trying to think of some other solution, some other outcome, some way for us..." She looked back at him and then seemed to collect herself, "I met a nice lady in town when I would go in to get this specialty Irish coffee. She was always coming in about the same time I was. Her name is Kathleen and we became fast friends. I told her about you and she was so supportive of me. She told me it was your loss and to get back on the horse sort of speak."

Matt smiled for a second and was happy, maybe even a little relieved she had someone to help her those first months away.

Elizabeth continued, "I went out and started seeing a local man, a nice quiet businessman. She set it up and he...well...he just seemed so different I guess. I held his complete attention every time we were together. But...he wasn't you." She then looked back at him and said, "I missed you so much. I thought again about coming back, but...I kept putting it off and then...well...then things started to happen."

C.J. had been brewing the tea and pouring it as she could hear Elizabeth upstairs. She wondered if Elizabeth knew she could hear her, but just poured it, took a deep breath and then took it out to her. "Here you go." She smiled as she carefully gave it to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth took a small drink as Matt mouthed a thank you to C.J. Matt then asked her, "What things started to happen Elizabeth?"

She put the tea on the coffee table as C.J. sat down in a chair opposite them on the couch and said, "The first time I was driving when my brakes went out. I didn't know what to do right away so turned off on a little side road that had a sharp incline and let it stop on its own." Matt tensed up, both women could see that. Then she said, "I told my housekeeper I was going to the cemetery out in the country and a couple of other people. I got stranded, but then when I did get some help and had someone look at it..." She looked up at both Matt and C.J. and told them, "he told me someone had cut the brake line."

C.J. then spoke up and asked, "When was that?"

Elizabeth answered, "About two weeks ago. Joseph, the businessman I had seen came rushing back. He had heard somehow and wanted to make sure I was safe. Then about a week ago...well...I was swimming in the pool at the house when I caught something out of the corner of my eye in the water. It scared me so I jumped out and started screaming. My gardener came running over and he captured it and killed it. It was a snake...a snake that isn't from Ireland, but from the Americas." She put her head down and said, "They said if it had bitten me, I would have died within seconds. There's no way of knowing how it even got there, but I think its fairly obvious that someone wants me dead." She took another drink, shaking as she did.

Matt patted her back and C.J. then said, softly, "Elizabeth, have you noticed anyone following you, either there or here?"

She shook her head and then C.J. and Matt looked at each other. C.J. knew that Matt would want her to stay with them and while she wasn't entirely comfortable with that, it would be ok. Her husband loved her and she knew that. He would always have feelings for Elizabeth and C.J. knew that one of the reasons she loved her husband so much and always had was his commitment to his friends. Elizabeth was one of those friends now, so she simply nodded to Matt and they communicated in that non spoken way they had in the past. He smiled a little grateful smile to her and then told Elizabeth, "Listen, why don't I take you over to your house and we'll pick up a few things. We want you to stay here with us..." She started to object but he continued, "Now don't argue with me. Neither of us want anything happening to you. Just because you haven't seen anyone following you or anything like that here, we don't want to take any chances."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Thank you, both of you. I took a cab here so I don't have my car..."

Matt then took her hand and helped her up and said, "Why don't you go on downstairs, I'll meet you at the door." She nodded and left. Matt then turned to C.J. and took both her hands and simply said, "Thank you." Then kissed her briefly, they smiled to each other and then he left.


	2. Chapter 2

2

After getting her five bags up to the spare bedroom, Matt told the two women he was going to go get some aspirin. He smiled at the two and then left them alone to talk. Elizabeth said as she put a few of the clothes in a dresser, "I just wanted to thank you for letting me stay here. Even though I figured Matt would insist I stay, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

C.J., still fixing the bedsheets and fluffing out the pillows said, "I know this may not have been what you were expecting, but neither of us wants anything to happen to you. Matt would be worried if you were anywhere else right now and so would I. So, don't worry about anything. We'll figure this out." She smiled at Elizabeth after finishing.

Elizabeth just looked at the bed and said, "Well I will say that you do a better job fixing the bed than Matt does or did before. You see when he first brought me here when we figured out what my brother was doing, he tried to make up the bed and we ended up...well...never mind." C.J. looked down for a second at that point having a pretty good idea as to what they had done after that.

So she told Elizabeth, "Listen, you've had long day I'm sure. Why don't you settle in here and get some rest. We're going to run into the office, but only for a little while. We'll leave the security system on so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

Elizabeth nodded and C.J. left her to go downstairs.

She found Matt rubbing his neck and asked him, "So, you ready to go fire up Baby and see if we can't figure out what's going on?"

Matt nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm wondering if her brother's widow is still in prison."

C.J. told him, "Well, if I remember right, she should be. Its only been a year."

They got up to the penthouse quickly enough and walked in on Warren and Chris talking by the wet bar. "So really, just a movie and I promise to have you home by 10." Warren was clearly asking Chris out.

Chris bit her lip and then nodded, "That sounds good." She then caught sight of Matt and C.J. as they entered. "Hi guys...Warren was just..."

He turned around and told them, "I just stopped by to check on Chris and her security system and to ask her something. I'll be going." He shot her one last smile and then quickly got to the elevator.

Matt and C.J. looked at each other and as Chris walked up to them said, "There's coffee but it's kind of cold. I didn't think you were coming in today. Roy called in earlier and said he was taking a week off and if you had a problem with that, too bad." She then caught Matt and C.J. look at each other and smile. "What?" she asked.

Matt told her, "Nothing, just nothing. We have a new client that's all and wanted to get a little work done." They started a little further into the penthouse as Chris got back to her desk and he said, "Oh and make sure he takes you somewhere nice."

He didn't get an answer and they walked over to the couch and turned on Baby. "Hiya Baby" C.J. said.

Baby typed back "Hiya C.J."

Matt said, "Well I think the first thing we need to do is check to see if Deborah O'Malley is still in prison."

C.J. clicked some buttons and pulled up the image and found that she was, "Yeah she is...looks like she might get paroled in a few months though." C.J. clicked on some more buttons. "Well, according to Baby, Deborah has a brother that lives here in L.A., a Michael O'Malley. I wonder how close he is to his sister and whether or not he'd try to get back at Elizabeth to exact some kind of revenge."

Matt then said, "Its a place to start. What about that radical terrorist group Elizabeth's brother was working with. Now they were bound to be upset when we cut them off of Elizabeth's inheritance. I wonder if they wouldn't want to get back at her too."

C.J. then punched in some more information into Baby. "Well, there's a Craig McKinnon who seems to be a local activist for the movement and the face of it. Appears he's been tied to a number of different acts but it seems no one can ever prove his connection. Huh, Matt check this out. He went to college with Deborah O'Malley and Michael Sheridan." She clicked on a few more buttons and another image came up of the three in some college dorm room. "That's the three of them just five years ago."

Matt nodded his head and then said, "So not only would he be expecting the money but probably would have known about what Michael Sheridan was doing to Elizabeth. Ok, well, we have a place to start." He took the printout and told her, "You keep digging to see if you can come up with anything like financial records for this group to see how desperate they are for money and an address."

C.J. then asked as he was heading to the door, "And where will you be?"

He answered, "I'm going to look for them and have a talk with both these fellows and see if I can't get a read on how they feel about Elizabeth." C.J. nodded, telling him to be careful and then went back to work.

Matt decided to start at that bar a good couple of hours from the penthouse, where he had originally seen Elizabeth. Sure enough it was filled with people. Luckily it appeared, not any of the patrons recognized him from before. The bartender did though. "What do you want? Take out another one of us?"

Matt leaned over and told him, "I'm looking for Michael O'Malley and Craig McKinnon. Don't suppose you've seen them, huh?"

The bartender then told him, "And if I had, now why would I tell you?"

Matt then leaned over further, "Because someone is trying to hurt Elizabeth Sheridan again and I don't want to see anything happen to her."

He nodded his head and said, "That girl...the one you brought in here that shot her boyfriend...oh wait...that's right, you and those cops pinned that on her poor brother."

Matt took a deep breath and told him, "He did shoot that man. He framed Elizabeth." He looked around and thought to that day and then said, "I'm wasting my time." At that point two rather large men walked up and blocked his path to the door. He then looked behind him to see two more men. Before Matt knew it all four had taken him outside and fought him. It wasn't exactly a fair fight and before it was over, he ended up pulling his gun and fired in the air.

He started to back toward his car and said, "Now I think I'll go and find them without your help." Tucking his gun in quickly and jumping in his car he tore off.

After getting down the road he called C.J. at the penthouse, "C.J., were you able to find an address for those two?"

C.J. answered, "Well, Michael O'Malley has a house about three blocks away from Elizabeth's place but McKinnon is still in the wind. As leader of this particular group I guess he doesn't want too many people knowing his whereabouts."

Matt nodded and said, "That's probably true, where am I going next? Three blocks away?" She gave him the address and he made a beeline for that house.

Back in the penthouse Elizabeth got out of the elevator. She cautiously walked around and over to C.J. still at Baby. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't stay at the beach house. I got a cab and came over. It doesn't seem fair, the two of you working on my case without my help."

C.J. smiled and told her, "Here, come sit down. You can help me maybe." She then turned to face her more directly, "Elizabeth, I heard you tell Houston you had...met some new people in the last couple of months. Who are they?"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "My new friend Kathleen and a man I was seeing, sort of...well his name is Joseph Brady. They've both been really supportive." She made that last statement really clear.

C.J. smiled a little and said, "What's Kathleen's last name?"

Elizabeth then said, "Its Kathleen Wesley. I met her in Dublin and she's a good friend of mine. She wouldn't be trying to hurt me..." Elizabeth started to stand up but C.J. softened her approach.

She told her, "I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I'm just trying to figure out who is behind this. They may know something or saw something you didn't. It may be worth the effort for us to talk to them."

Elizabeth then nodded and said, "Well, Kathleen is coming in tomorrow. She told me she's too worried about me being out here alone and with Matt since we...anyway, she insisted she come to support me. That's how good a friend she is."

C.J. then told her, "I'm glad you have someone so supportive. Look, why don't you..."

Elizabeth then started to walk out to the patio and said, "You know I'll never forget that night." C.J. followed her as she thought that was what Elizabeth wanted, and it was. She continued, "We had danced that night and I think we both knew we only had so much time. I knew what he was going to say before he said it." She looked back at C.J., "He couldn't take the chance of marrying me because he was too afraid someone would hurt me and it would be too much for him to bear."

C.J. started to say, "Elizabeth..." She had actually hoped to reassure Elizabeth that Matt still cared for her and wouldn't stop until he found out who was behind the attempts on her life.

Elizabeth interrupted, "No, I know. I can't imagine falling so deeply in love with someone and having them get killed by someone just to get back at you. I know he loves me because he was willing to let me go to protect me. What I felt, what we both felt, we had never felt before. I guess..." She just looked at C.J. again and then said, "well, I guess losing me would be too much for him to bear, but he still wanted a family and you had been there all that time, in the background. You make a logical choice."

C.J. closed her eyes and just took a deep breath, "Look, Elizabeth, if you want to stay out here that's fine. You can stay as long as you like, but I think I should get back inside and get back to work."

She turned around and Elizabeth then said, "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't say anything to offend you."

C.J. turned back and said, "I know, I'll be inside if you need me." She got back in and then plugged the names Kathleen Wesley and Joseph Brady into Baby who it appeared needed more time to process the request.

Noticing it was getting close to quitting time she sat back and rubbed her face. Elizabeth had stayed outside looking out over the skyline. C.J. thought back to those months ago when Matt had come into tell them the two were engaged. She remembered vividly how it made her feel and thought that perhaps Elizabeth now felt that way. It stung in a way she wasn't anticipating and after making one last ditch effort to Matt, just resigned herself to the fact that he was going through with it and if she wanted to stay in his life, she would have to just accept it. She wanted him to be happy, that was the important thing.

Now she sat at Baby trying to figure out who was trying to hurt Elizabeth again. This might really be the first real test in their marriage. She knew Matt loved her, but she knew he had loved Elizabeth at one time too. Would those feelings get rekindled? She knew Matt would never cheat on her or leave her, but what if secretly... No, she put those thoughts away and got up to go tell Chris to have a good time tonight before she left.

After descending those little stairs she told Chris who was looking fervently for her keys, "Looking for these?" C.J. picked up a key ring just under a paper on her desk.

Chris sighed, took them and said, "Yes I was, thank you. I don't know why, but I'm so nervous about tonight."

C.J. smiled just a little for reassurance and told her, "I know why..." Chris looked down but C.J. continued, "but I think this date is a good thing. Warren is one of the good guys and I think he'll treat you well tonight. If he doesn't, you can always tell me and Matt and we can go take care of him for you."

They both laughed for a second and Chris said, "I know and its just dinner and a movie, that new romance that came out today. I just don't know, he seems so nice though."

C.J. went over and rubbed her arms telling her, "Everything will be fine, just trust yourself. Call me later if you want, ok?"

She nodded and left. C.J. then turned back as Elizabeth came back into the penthouse and said, "Elizabeth, its time to go get something to eat. There's a deli down the block, I'll get a couple of the security men to go with us, come on."

She nodded but asked, "Aren't you going to wait for Matt?"

C.J. answered, "No, I can pick him up something maybe but its not his favorite place. He's out working the case and will call me or come back here when he's done. Let's go, I'm starving." The two left.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Matt had just gotten back when C.J. and Elizabeth were walking back down the street. Not finding them after calling out he found C.J.'s note on Baby who was still processing her last request. He went down to the gym and pulled out the first aid kit, looking at himself in the mirror with his hand on his jaw rolling it around. He looked in his mouth as he thought he might actually have a loose tooth which would be bad since he really hated going to the dentist. It could be worse though, he thought. He knew C.J. probably wouldn't be that happy either.

He took his shirt off and found a couple of new bruises. Taking out the medicine and a cotton ball he started applying it where the skin was broken. Even with him doing it, he still called out, "Ouch!" a couple of times.

When the two women got up in the elevator and stepped out they could hear him. C.J. looked at Elizabeth and then headed straight down the stairs. She took one look at him and said, "What happened to you?"

He held his hand out and said, "Little bar fight, I don't need your help, but thanks anyway."

C.J. put her hands on her hips, "Really now...and how exactly do you intend to get the ones on the back?"

Matt tried to look at the ones on his back and said, "I'm sure they're just fine and don't need this." While he was still looking she walked up to him and took the bottle out of his hand before he knew it.

He rolled his eyes and said, "C.J...really...Ouch! You don't need that much." He then squirmed away from her and took his shirt. Elizabeth had come down and was watching the two. He saw her with a horrified look on her face and he said, "Its nothing really, just a few cuts."

Elizabeth said, "You're bleeding, because of me." She turned around clearly upset and Matt followed after her while C.J. put up the first aid kit.

She got back out on the patio. Matt finished buttoning up his shirt and then walked out to her as she leaned against the ledge. "I've had worse scrapes Elizabeth, this is nothing. Nothing for you to worry about."

She tried to smile and said, "I know you have but that doesn't mean it still doesn't bother me. I can't believe it doesn't bother C.J."

Matt then said, "She's been beside me since I first started the agency. She's seen a lot worse."

Elizabeth then nodded and said, "I don't know if I could have done that. I know how much your job means to you and I know what it took for you to give it up for me and a future with us."

Matt nodded and then told her, "I was willing to give it up Elizabeth, but I'm glad I didn't."

She looked at him confused, "What do you mean?"

He answered as he looked back into the office to see C.J. sitting back down at Baby, "I don't think I would have been happy, not really. My job is a big part of who I am, and C.J. has been a big part of my life for almost as long as I can remember, and..."

Elizabeth then interrupted and asked, "And she makes you happy?"

Matt didn't hesitate but answered, "Yes she does, in way I've never known until about 6 months ago."

Elizabeth then asked, "If she asked you to give it up for her, would you?"

Matt then looked back at Elizabeth and said, "She wouldn't ask me that. This job means as much to her as it does to me. She's always been out to help those who need it. Its why she got her law degree. She had plans to help those less fortunate. Our job lets us do that."

Elizabeth then asked again, "I know it does, but if she did ask...would you?"

Matt told her, "If something happened Elizabeth that made it necessary for me to quit to keep her and our family safe, I would do it." He then turned around and told her, "Come on, let's go. Its been a long day." He took her arm and the two went back inside.

C.J. was rubbing her eyes when they got in. Matt left Elizabeth and walked over, taking C.J. by the hand. He told her, "Its late, let's go home, you're tired."

She nodded and then yawned before saying, "Baby will keep working on this."

Matt took Elizabeth in his car and C.J. drove hers. C.J. had to keep blinking her eyes to stay focused and could see Matt and Elizabeth's shadow in the car in front of her. At one point it looked as though Elizabeth put her head on his shoulder for a second. C.J. almost ran into Matt when she saw that but she then seemed to move back to her side quickly without Matt's head even moving.

She couldn't hear the conversation in the car. Elizabeth asked, "Isn't that the little Italian restaurant you took me to? Tuscan Sunset?" She had to lean over to Matt's side and just barely pointed. Given that Matt knew where they were he just told her it was.

Right before they got out Elizabeth asked Matt if he still had to deal with that police Lt. that she had met before. She laughed as she told him, "That was definitely an experience dating a man with a police entourage. He laughed back as they got out beside C.J. who was just getting out of her car.

Elizabeth looked at her and stopped laughing suddenly saying, "Sorry, we were just reliving something." They all three walked in with Matt leading the way.

He got to the house first and checked things out, finding no one lurking around. They told Elizabeth goodnight and she hugged Matt one more time. C.J. just rubbed her forehead, looking down when she did that.

Matt patted her back for a second and then turned back to C.J. and took her hand. He led her to the bedroom. After she changed into some pajamas he asked her, "You ok?" She seemed a little distant for some reason, and well...he knew what reason.

C.J. climbed into bed, into his open arms and said as she rested on his chest, "I'm fine. Are you ok?"

Matt rubbed her arm and said, "I'm just fine, C.J. I'm at home finally, in bed with the woman I love in my arms. Life is perfect."

She smiled and then asked, "Perfect?" C.J. rolled over and asked him, "Are you sure its exactly the way you want it?" She felt so guilty for even asking, but some of things Elizabeth had said, hit their mark exactly.

Matt smiled, brushed the hair back from her face and said, "Exactly...the only thing missing is that little bundle we're working on. I love you, C.J." Then he kissed her again.

She kissed him back, told him she loved him and before she knew it they were all wrapped up in each other again, just like in Tahiti.

The next morning Matt got up before C.J. He knew she was bound to have concerns with Elizabeth coming back and he made very sure last night that he allayed each one, in his favorite way of course.

After taking his shower he started to go out to get some coffee started with C.J. still asleep, but then caught himself in the mirror in his robe. No, they had company in the house, so he should probably put something on first.

It didn't take long for him to get dressed in his suit and start down the stairs. The spare bedroom door was cracked so he assumed Elizabeth was up already. He knocked softly and then opened the door, "Elizabeth..." There was Elizabeth all right, with no clothes as she had just taken her shower, it appeared and was getting dressed.

Although Matt had seen her before he quickly turned around and said, "I'm so sorry Elizabeth. I didn't mean...the door was open so I thought."

He heard her say with him still facing away, "Its ok Matt," she chuckled to him. "Its not as though you haven't seen me before."

Matt closed his eyes and swallowed, "I know that, but I shouldn't be seeing you now." Before he could say anything else she was dressed and walking to the door.

She got to the door and put her hand on his shoulder, "Like I said, I'm ok with it. Are you really that scared? Do you think C.J. will be angry or something? It was a simple mistake that's all. If she really watches everything you do and gets mad Matt... You shouldn't have to watch what you do, I..."

Matt stopped her again and said, "She doesn't watch what I do, Elizabeth. I told you yesterday, I won't do anything to jeopardize what I have with her." He then turned and walked downstairs.

She started to call out, "Matt, I was just getting out of the shower when you came in, that's all."

He turned sharply and walked back up to her, "I know that, now C.J. is still sleeping and I don't want her woken up. She needs her rest and I don't want her disturbed."

Elizabeth looked confused but Matt left her to go make the coffee. After a minute when he had the coffee brewing and he rubbed his face she asked him, "Is she ok?"

Matt looked back and asked, "What?"

Elizabeth then walked closer to him and said, "You said C.J. needs her rest...is something wrong with her, health wise?"

What Matt meant by his statement was that she might be pregnant and if she was, would need lots of rest for the next nine months. He didn't want to tell Elizabeth that though. Her concern did seem nice so he said, "She's just fine, but she...didn't get a lot of sleep last night that's all. Anyway, we need to get ready and head in to do some more background work on Baby. I have the address now for O'Malley and will go try to talk to him again and if I don't get anything..."

Elizabeth looked surprised and asked, "Michael O'Malley?" Matt nodded and she asked, "Why would you..." She got a look of resignation on her face and said, "he's Deborah's brother. You think he could want to hurt me to get me back for having his sister arrested."

She shuddered and Matt saw, going over to put his arms around her. He told her when he pulled back, "I'm checking all angles. We may not have gotten married, but you will always be my friend Elizabeth and I won't let anything happen to you." He then turned back to get her a cup of coffee and gave it to her.

C.J. had woken up and could smell the coffee brewing downstairs. She smiled for a second thinking about how wonderful coffee was, such a nice way to start a morning, she thought to herself. Her revelry was short lived when she went to shower and change. She learned quickly that she was most definitely not pregnant.

Her shower now was going to take much longer as she not only showered, but cried. Dr. Samaras had told her it would probably not happen right away, but that didn't stop C.J. from thinking it would and now, it would take at least another month.

After pulling herself together for another minute and getting out she got dressed. It was as she was buckling her boots when he walked in. "I'm going to head over to O'Malley's, he wasn't there yesterday..." He was grabbing his gun to tuck behind him when he noticed her wipe a tear.

That stopped him dead in his tracks, her crying always did. He sat down beside her and she looked down. He took his hand and placed it softly under her chin and tilted it toward him before he asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath and told him, "I'm not...well..."

Elizabeth peeked in then and said, "Matt...I hate to bother you, but where did you hide the sugar? You used to keep it in the freezer in a bag."

Matt then turned and told her, "Its in the canisters C.J. bought, on the counter." He then turned back to C.J. who was wiping her eyes. "Now tell me..." He rubbed her back.

She smiled and said, "I will later today. We have a job to do." He kept looking at her concerned so she told him again, "It's nothing serious, really. I would just rather do this later."

He rubbed her back for another minute and then told her, "You're sure?" She nodded and he told her, "Ok, but tonight we talk." He leaned down and kissed her one more time and told her, "I love you. I'll call you when I find out anything and since Elizabeth is staying with you today, keep an eye out and be careful."

She smiled and he stopped one more time at the door, blowing her a kiss before he left.

C.J. got downstairs not long after that to get that cup of coffee. She poured it and then blew on it thinking about how she had wished the day had started out differently. Right before leaving Tahiti, the two had bought a pregnancy test to take home. She had planned to take it if not today, then within the week. Now that was no longer necessary.

She was just finishing it up when Elizabeth came down and told her, "Matt told me we would be spending the day together again, just us two gals."

C.J. smiled back and then told her, "We'll head up to the office in a minute. I just need to finish this and grab my things, then we can go."

Elizabeth went up to the spare bedroom to get her things. She started into the master bedroom to say she was ready when she saw C.J. holding something in her hand, wipe a tear and then put it in a drawer. She took note of that.


	4. Chapter 4

4

"I'm sorry, I can't believe I forgot my wallet." Elizabeth told C.J. as she got back in her car. They had gotten all the way out when she remembered she had taken it out and ran back in alone to go get it.

C.J. smiled and told her, "Its not a problem, really, but we need to get into the office."

They got in and noticed as they got out of the elevator that Chris had a bouquet of flowers on her desk. She was also smiling rather broadly as well.

As Elizabeth made her way to get another cup of coffee, C.J. asked her, "So...where did these come from?"

Chris smiled and said, timidly, "Where do you think?"

C.J. laughed a little and said, "What I think is that one very nice detective sent you a whole vase of roses because he had a great time last night with my friend."

Chris, still smiling, took one of them and smelt it saying, "I had so much fun, I don't think I've ever had that much fun on a date."

C.J. put her stuff down and told her, "Ok, spill..."

Chris then chuckled and said, "Ok, well, he took me to Tuscan Sunset first..."

C.J. nodded, still smiling and told her, "Good, that's a good start."

Chris continued, "Ok, so then, after dessert that is, we went and saw that movie and I...well...I" She started to stop the story, more reflective.

C.J. then pressed, "You what, Chris? Don't leave me hanging here."

Chris then said, "I relaxed and let him hold my hand first and then...he put his arm around me and...well...it just, I was ok. It wasn't anything serious I know, but..."

C.J. then came around the desk and gave her a hug saying, "It felt good, not scary." Chris nodded and she told her, "I'm so happy for you."

Elizabeth then asked, "C.J. why is you computer printing out so much?"

C.J. then grabbed her things and told Chris, "Enjoy the flowers and let me know when he calls."

C.J. was walking back in the penthouse when Chris called back to her, "He already did and we're having dinner again tonight." C.J. just turned back to her and smiled as she kept going.

Elizabeth was right, Baby was printing like crazy. C.J. dropped her stuff on the couch and started reading through it all. It was at about that point that Matt called.

After going through Chris, C.J. got the phone and asked him what O'Malley told him.

Matt was just sitting in his car in front of O'Malley's house and told her, "Nothing, he's still not home. Any address on McKinnon yet?"

C.J. was still looking through things and told him, "Not on McKinnon, but..." She then looked at Elizabeth, still standing there. Knowing that Elizabeth had been clear that her last boyfriend Joseph Brady was innocent of all wrong doing, she didn't want to tell Matt about him being in town right away. So she told him, "Houston, there may be someone you might want to talk to at the Plaza Hotel, Presidential Suite."

Matt wondered for a second as to why C.J. seemed to be talking in code, but then figured there was something she was trying to communicate to him without Elizabeth knowing exactly what that was. So he asked, "Its not McKinnon is it?"

She answered, "No, its not." Still smiling at Elizabeth as she hoped he'd just keep asking questions.

He then asked, "Would this be that new friend of hers, Kathleen something?"

She answered again, "No, Warren was very nice to Chris last night."

Ok, Matt was confused. He started to say, "Oh yeah, so she had a good time?" He was met with silence and then figured it out, "Ok, so not Kathleen. The businessman boyfriend?"

C.J. answered, "Yes, exactly. He even bought her flowers because they both had a good time."

Matt then smiled and said, "Tell Chris I'm happy for her and I'll head on over there to check this guy out. Love you, Slick."

C.J. then smiled at told him, "Back at ya."

Elizabeth told her, "Look, I appreciate you helping me, but Kathleen should be coming in today and I want to get over to the airport to pick her up."

That broke C.J.'s concentration as she had gone to reading all the printouts. She told her, "We can send a car..." but when she looked up she could tell Elizabeth really wanted to go herself. So she told her, "I can have Chris call a car to take you to the airport and get her. Then the car can bring both of you back here or the beach house."

Elizabeth then thanked her and went on her own to demand Chris do that for her. Chris just looked into the office and C.J. gave her a little nod before they both rolled their eyes at Elizabeth who had gone to the bathroom before leaving.

That gave C.J. the time to read up on Joseph Brady, and she didn't like what she learned.

Matt walked right into the hotel and headed right up the front desk, "Hi there...my name is..."

The nice young man at the computer smiled and said, "Matt Houston. I know who you are. Are you here to book a room? The Presidential Suite is taken right now but we have another suite that is almost as large with only 50 less ft of square footage..."

Matt had nodded and then interrupted, "I don't really need a room..." The man looked disappointed so he continued, "You know what I do for a living right?"

The man nodded and then got excited and asked, "You need to know who is in one of our rooms for a case, right?"

Matt laughed just a little and said, "Yeah, that's right...Can you help me?"

The guy looked around for a second, hoping none of his bosses were around and whispered, "Ok, maybe, but only once ok...And if you ever do book a room, you ask for me, ok?"

Matt told him, "Cross my heart...now do you think you can tell me who is in that Presidential Suite?"

The man typed some buttons and said, "Joseph Brady...huh, that's strange."

Matt asked, "What's strange?" The man looked confused.

He then spoke up and said, "Well it's this Joseph Brady that is registered, but its a woman's credit card that was used to book the room."

Matt then got a knot in his stomach and asked, "What's the woman's name?"

The man then looked around and said, "I can't give that out, I'll lose my job..." Matt was about to say something else, but the man then told him, "I guess I could make an exception though, since you were engaged to marry her a few months ago."

Matt then looked disgusted and said, "Elizabeth Sheridan." The man nodded. Matt was now more determined than ever to have a little talk with this guy.

He got up to the floor quickly enough and knocked on the door. It creaked open. Matt then drew his gun and called in, "Mr. Brady...My name is Matt Houston...Are you here? I just want to talk to you a minute?" Before he could get much further in someone came at him from his side knocking him down and running out the door.

Matt got up quickly and chased the guy down the hallway. Then down a stairwell and then out into the street. He barely caught a glimpse of him before getting hit by a car trying to stop.

Matt wasn't hurt bad but definitely felt like he had been hit by a car. His ribs ached when he tried to get back up.

He grabbed them and then heard Hoyt tell him just minutes later, "Just stay still, P.I., paramedics need to brace your neck. As I was calling C.J., she called me to tell me she couldn't get a hold of you in your car and to head over to the Plaza Hotel..." The paramedics then interrupted him and took him in.

Elizabeth had just met her friend at the airport and told her, "I am so glad you're here, Kathleen."

Kathleen then told her as they embraced, "I told you, I wouldn't be anywhere else. I can't believe he actually married that girl. Listen, I'm sure he just needs some time to realize how much he loved you...that is, if you're sure Joseph isn't the one."

She seemed to stop just to make sure first and Elizabeth then told her, "No, I can't go back to Joseph. He's sweet, he is, but...well...let's just say he reminds me too much of my brother, that's all. Matt is nothing like him. I didn't realize how much I missed him until I saw him again."

Elizabeth looked down and Kathleen said, "Well, now that I'm here, I can help you win him back." They both then got in the car and headed to Elizabeth's house.

Elizabeth told her, "I've been staying with him at his beach house. He's been really sweet, but he keeps telling me over and over again, how much he loves her. I know he just married her because he couldn't have me, so he settled for her. She was always there, you know."

Kathleen then patted her hand and said, "Well, he just needs to be reminded of what a catch you are, and I can help you with that." She then pulled out a little medicine bottle out of her purse and said, "With this."

Elizabeth looked confused and asked, "What's that?"

Kathleen then told her, "I thought you told me, when Michael..." Elizabeth looked down but Kathleen continued, "Look you don't need to use it on her, but him and only once. I have a fool proof plan. Just trust me. You drop me off at your place and I'll take care of everything. Just get him back here."

Elizabeth looked unsure, but Kathleen assured her, "When have I ever done anything but support you. Trust me, now go." Elizabeth then nodded and left.


	5. Chapter 5

5

C.J. had just gotten off with Hoyt as Elizabeth came up. She told him, "Houston's making another trip to the emergency room again. Let's go."

Elizabeth started to panic and then asked C.J. as C.J. drove, "You seem so calm...what's wrong with him? Did they tell you? Was he shot or...I mean really, C.J., how do know he's even..." She started to cry.

C.J. then patted her back and said, "Look, when I talked to Hoyt he said he ran out into traffic and was hit by a car but officers on the scene weren't calling it in as life threatening. He's probably going to be sore for quite a while though."

They got there in record time and found Matt putting his shirt back on while being told by his doctor to take it easy on one side and Hoyt on the other reading him the riot act.

C.J. walked in and broke them up by whistling really loud. Everyone stopped and looked at her, irritated, except Matt who smiled. She asked, "So, I take it, he's free to be released?"

The doctor said, "This time, but I can only patch up so much." He then walked past to leave and said, "I should get a retainer myself from him." C.J. just chuckled.

Then Hoyt started, "Ok, listen, so you say this guy, he came at you in his hotel room, for no reason. Just hit you and then ran. Now why would he do that?"

Matt looked at C.J. and then Elizabeth and shrugged. Then he said, "Ask him."

Hoyt was more irritated, " Ask who? Ugh! I give up. Just call me if you have someone, with a name, for me to arrest, alright?" Then he left.

That left Matt with Elizabeth and C.J. He knew he had to tell Elizabeth that the man she dated had probably just conned her out of part of her fortune, but he dreaded it. C.J. walked up to him and told him, "I learned more about our suspect."

Matt then asked her, "He's a con artist isn't he?"

She nodded and said, "There's more. He's tied to Michael O'Malley and Michael Sheridan and they're broke..." At that point they nodded to each other in agreement while Elizabeth looked on completely confused.

Matt then asked, "C.J., I think I need to talk to Elizabeth alone."

She nodded and then Elizabeth, knowing that some bad news was probably coming, but excited over the prospect of seeing Matt alone offered, "Kathleen is at my place and says its safe. Why don't we go there and C.J. can go home for the day."

Matt looked at C.J. who he could tell was a little uncomfortable with the idea and told her, "How about it...you go home and get some dinner and I'll meet you there in a couple of hours. Then we can talk about what we didn't get to talk about this morning."

She nodded to him and told him, "I'll find Hoyt and give him the information I have." He nodded back and then she kissed his cheek and told him to be careful before leaving.

After she left Elizabeth then handed him his jacket and said, "I can't believe you, you were almost killed today and you and C.J. act like its no big deal." She shook her head.

Matt told her as he put it on, "We're just desensitized to it I guess."

Then they got interrupted by the doctor who came in with a pill bottle, "Here, your ribs are a little dinged up. They don't appreciate being rolled over a car I can assure you and will let you know that, probably in the morning. Only take one before bed and it should help you sleep."

Matt nodded and then told him, "Sure thing doc, but I doubt I'll need it."

The doctor then told him, "Just take my word on this, at least." Then he left.

Matt walked out with Elizabeth and got in the car C.J. had called for.

As they rode in the back he told her, "Elizabeth, how well did you get to know this Joseph Brady?"

She looked down and asked, "Why do you want to know about him?"

Matt then told her more softly, "Because that was who I went to see today."

She looked horrified and started to fidget, "What?"

He then explained, "I went to his hotel room to talk to him and the next thing I know, he is coming at me. I chased him down and out into the street when I got hit."

Elizabeth shuddered, "No, I can't believe he would try to hurt me."

Matt then told her, "He tried to hurt me today Elizabeth. He is definitely capable of violence and theft." She looked confused so he explained further, knowing it would probably make her feel foolish, "He used your name Elizabeth and your credit cards in that hotel. How did he have those things if you two broke up."

She could feel the tears swell in her eyes as she told him, "I broke up with him when I found out he worked with my brother. Yes, that's right...I fell for a man that knew what my brother had done to me and just let him keep right on doing it. How stupid does a girl have to be right?"

Matt then put his arm around her and told her, "You weren't stupid. He's a con man and you probably aren't the first person he stole from."

She then shook her head and told him, "He didn't steal it for himself, but for that organization...the one my brother started. I just couldn't believe he was involved in that and I broke it off with him." She then turned back to Matt and said, "That's when I realized how much I needed you and how big a mistake I had made. Oh Matt...are you sure we can't rekindle what we once had..." Matt shook his head but she continued, "what we had was so special. I've still never felt for anyone the way I felt for you."

Matt then told her, "I'll be your friend until the day I die, Elizabeth, but I can't be anything more. I'm sorry." Her head dropped but he kept going, "You will find someone someday, I know you will and you will be happy."

She didn't say anything as they drove up to her door. Kathleen was standing there smiling. Elizabeth wiped her tears and then stepped out, "Kathleen, this is the man I was telling you about, Matt Houston."

Matt got out and smiled, shaking her hand, "Nice to meet you Kathleen. I think you should probably go get a few things, we don't have a large beach house, but I'm sure we can find room for you."

Kathleen then interrupted, "We'll be fine here. I've already called a service and they assured me that a couple of security guards should be over here in an hour. Why don't you come in and check the house out yourself?"

Matt started to object, but thought that a couple of security guards would be good and it would give him and C.J. some privacy so they could talk. He agreed and walked around rather gingerly about the house.

Meanwhile, C.J. was at the hotel talking to Hoyt, "This Joseph Brady is known to have collaborated with Michael Sheridan and Michael O'Malley. He's a radical that is tied to at least a dozen different terrorist acts but hasn't been convicted of a single crime."

Hoyt then popped a few antacids and said, "So, you think he's going after Elizabeth out of revenge?"

C.J. then nodded, "Its definitely a viable possibility. Matt was going there to ask him but Brady went on the offensive according to Matt."

Hoyt then looked around the room, "Well, there isn't too much here. There's maybe a handful of receipts to tell us where he's been the last few days and something on a notepad about a Craig McKinnon but other than that..."

C.J.'s ears perked up, "Craig McKinnon...where?" Hoyt then took her over to a notepad that had that name along with an address.

C.J. jotted it down as Hoyt asked, "I suppose that name means something to you?"

She answered, "He's an old college friend of Deborah O'Malley and we think tied to Michael O'Malley. He's the poster child for the movement Michael Sheridan was working with and we think that gives him motive to go after Elizabeth too."

He nodded his head and said, "Well, if we learn anything, I'll let you know. Please do me the same curtsey, alright?"

She nodded and then told him, "Well, I better be heading back to the beach house. Matt and Elizabeth will be back soon and I have a feeling they'll be bringing back Elizabeth's friend Kathleen too."

He nodded and she left.

Kathleen pulled Elizabeth aside as Matt checked out the house. "Listen, its all set up, just make sure he drinks that beer in the fridge."

Elizabeth then told her, "I don't know about this..."

Kathleen then checked again to make sure he was still upstairs and told her, "Do you want him back or not?" Elizabeth nodded so she continued, "Look, just give him the beer and get him up to your room somehow. It will knock him out quickly and he won't remember anything. You just said he was given some pain medication, tomorrow you just flush one and tell him he took it and fell asleep."

Elizabeth then said, "So what is that going to accomplish?"

Kathleen checked again and told her, "I'll call his wife and get her over here or something. She'll come in and find the two of you in bed. Just make a couple of comments about getting pregnant or something, remember...you said you found that test and she seemed upset. Its perfect...all you need to do make her think he just couldn't resist you, that he fell back into your arms and you know without a doubt it would be easy for you to get pregnant. It should sent her out of here and out of his life. She'll accuse him and he'll leave her."

Elizabeth seemed to digest that and said, "I'm sure she's probably insecure anyway since he only married her I know because he couldn't be with me."

Kathleen then patted her back and said, "Now you're talking. I know its not the way you wanted this be, but in the long run, it will all be worth it. She couldn't keep him happy, not the way you can. Actually, you're probably doing all of you a favor."

"Elizabeth, I think its all clear..." they heard Matt shout out.

Elizabeth then told him, "Great, thanks Matt...Come on down, I have a beer for you." The women looked at each other and nodded as Kathleen handed it to her after getting it out of the fridge.

C.J. had gotten back and picked up dinner. Since she didn't know who all was going to be there, she bought a family pack. After waiting two hours, she started getting worried. His car had been brought back so she knew there was no way to call him there. She started to pace. Then she figured he would be at Elizabeth's.

C.J. knew he wanted to tell her in person about Brady and that they had figured out that he was just using her. That would probably sting and she knew Matt would probably want to comfort her in some way. There was also this Kathleen she still didn't have enough information on that should be at the beach house, but wasn't.

After 10 she decided to drive over instead of calling. No car was in the drive way. When she approached the door, it opened and out stepped a woman she had never met before. C.J. drew her weapon and told her, "Stop right there. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The woman froze and then said in a shaky voice, "I...uh...my name is Kathleen...look, whoever you are, you can't hurt her...she's been through so much and finally has her life back...please."

C.J. lowered her weapon and asked, "Are you Kathleen Wesley?" The figure nodded, but still shaking. So she told her, "Its ok, I've lowered the gun. I'm C.J. Parsons-Houston. I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot here..." The woman then turned around and seemed to relax, "but I mean you no harm. In fact I only did that because I was afraid you were here to hurt Elizabeth."

The woman smiled and chuckled for a second saying, "Hurt Elizabeth...I would never hurt her. She's my friend and she's finally going to be happy. I just...oh wait...you're..." The woman's posture changed and she said, "You can't go in there, please, at least not right now, just wait, ok."

C.J. looked at her confused and said, "Why? Look I just need to find Matt and then take him home. I know Elizabeth is probably upset..." her voice trailed off as the woman looked away. She asked her, "What do you mean she's finally going to be happy. Did she find out who was trying to hurt her?"

The woman shook her head and just said, "Look, I just needed to go to the store and get a couple of things that's all. Why don't you go with me...look I'm sorry, I know you're his wife, but...well...I don't know how to say this...but they're upstairs... they...I'm sorry but they really love each other."

C.J. was stunned for a second but quickly recovered, "I don't believe you. Now I don't know you or why you would tell me this, but I'm going in to get my husband." She walked in assured she would find Matt just talking to Elizabeth, ok, maybe in her room but that would be it.

The light was on and she could hear Elizabeth talking to someone. C.J. could see through a small gap in the door as it was cracked as she approached and froze. Matt's bare back down to his waist was in that bed and Elizabeth didn't appear dressed either.


	6. Chapter 6

6

C.J. kept swallowing, almost paralyzed as she stood there, unable to make it all the way to the door. Elizabeth was running her hand over his shoulder as his hand seemed to be on her waist. She was telling him, "Look, I know, I understand. You don't want to hurt her. I think she'll understand though in the end."

Elizabeth smiled big as she had heard C.J. approach and chuckled, "I know, its been too long. I've missed you so much too, and I know, it all depends on whether or not she's pregnant..."

That statement hit C.J. hard and she found it hard to breathe for a second. Elizabeth didn't know she was trying to get pregnant, no one did except her doctor and Matt. That meant, that Matt had told her, while in bed with her.

Elizabeth continued, "That's so sweet Matt, but it may not feel like such a burden in the end. I just want you to be happy, that's all. I know how much family means to you. If and that's if she's pregnant, she may not be, but if she is, we'll wait until she has the baby. We'll wait until we know both her and the child are fine and then we can be together. I told you, I'm willing to wait. You're right, it doesn't matter how long it takes, no one could be to each other what we are. I can't go through my life without this any more than you can. I love you too." She started to kiss him and C.J. looked inside one more time to see Matt rolling on top of Elizabeth.

C.J. took one more breath and then left.

She sat up all night in bed and cried. Their wedding album was in the nightstand next to the bed and she looked over each and every page. Just two days ago everything was so much different. They were having the time of their life and they were both so happy, or so she thought.

It was as if her brain and heart couldn't agree on what they saw. On the one hand, she saw Matt with her own eyes in bed with Elizabeth and heard what she said to him, but on the other hand, Matt would never do that. Her heart was pleading with her to get more evidence. It was like the two sides in the courtroom.

By 6am the alarm went off but C.J. just turned it off. She had never gone to sleep. Slowly she got up, showered, and then went to work wondering if Matt was already up there and what he would say to her when she saw him again.

Matt woke up when the sun shone through the window. His mouth seemed dry and he started to say before opening his eyes, "C.J...I..."

Then he caught that he wasn't at home and he wasn't fully dressed. He looked around quickly enough and found his shirt and jacket on a chair Elizabeth appeared to be sleeping in. After waking up about 5 minutes ago she moved there.

He asked, "What's going on here?" clearly confused.

Elizabeth faked just waking up and said, "Oh, you're finally up. That's good." She smiled as she walked over to him and tried to hide her frown when he covered himself up more. "You took your pain pill last night when we got up here. Remember? I told you I thought I saw someone outside the window by the pool? You said you needed to take that pill and then you'd go check. Well, you never really left. You fell back on the bed. I called the hospital and they told me the reaction was normal and to just let you sleep it off. So, I took off your shirt to make you more comfortable and then stayed in this chair all night long and watched over you."

Matt was sitting up more and then asked, "I don't remember taking any pain pill. I remember drinking a beer...I wouldn't take any pill if I drank a beer."

Elizabeth then reached over to the nightstand and handed him an unopened beer and said, "You mean this one. I gave it to you, but you never opened it. You said your side was hurting."

Matt took the bottle and recognized it as the same brand. It was unopened but his head was still so fuzzy. His prescription was also on the table and one pill was in fact missing. Why did he remember drinking it if he didn't. Then again, why would Elizabeth lie to him? This was all way too confusing this early in the morning.

He needed coffee. As soon as he thought of that, he thought of C.J. again. "What about C.J..."

Elizabeth had started stretching but stopped. She asked, "What about her?"

Matt, realizing his pants were still on got up, having to balance himself first because he was a little unsteady and then walked past Elizabeth to his shirt and jacket. He said, "Does she know I'm here? I don't like her to worry, she doesn't need that right now."

Elizabeth then said, "I'm not entirely sure, I never heard the phone ring. I would hope she'd be worried, but..." she shrugged, "maybe she's really not, Matt. I'm sorry if it doesn't bother you that she didn't care to check on you, but it does me. You deserve to be with someone who really cares about you."

Matt got that look on his face and walked past her out the door to her bedroom, "She does care about me Elizabeth and I'm not having this conversation with you. My life with C.J. is between me and C.J."

He got out fast enough and then realized his car wasn't there, so he went back in and called a cab while Elizabeth made coffee. She brought him a cup and said, "Here, just how you like it."

He took it and thanked her. Then she told him, "I didn't mean anything by what I said about C.J. Matt. I know you love her, all I want is for you to be happy with someone you love who loves you as much in return. I just know that if she were the one who didn't come home last night, you would have been out searching for her, not stopping until you found her. I just hope my case isn't coming between you two."

Matt then handed her the coffee as the cab arrived. He told her, "There's nothing for you to worry about there. I see you have a couple of security guys but call me if you need me, alright?" He got in the cab and left for the beach house.

When he got there, C.J. had left. He noticed her car was gone and decided to run upstairs, shower quickly, change and then head into the office. When he got to their bedroom he found tissues all over the bed and their wedding album. He took a deep breath and could tell where she had cried at least part of the night.

Something had been bothering her yesterday and last night they were supposed to talk about it. It brought out a wave of pain in his chest as he thought about how she might be worried about his relationship with her. Elizabeth coming back in their lives had been like a bucket of cold water splashed in their faces when they were having the time of their lives. He knew he needed to reassure her, she was the only woman he truly loved.

C.J. got to the office before Chris did. She just wanted to end this stupid case as quickly as possible, that way she and Matt could have their talk. Through the course of the night, she had decided to wait until the case was wrapped up and those trying to kill Elizabeth were behind bars before taking Matt somewhere and asking him exactly what he wanted. Her love for him had grown so exponentially over the last 6 months that despite what she wanted, it was almost a need she had for him to be happy.

She wiped another tear as she thought about how she might have to give him up, lose him in order for that to happen.

Chris came in singing and that snapped C.J. out of her thoughts. She was about to pull out the print outs on Kathleen Wesley when she heard that perky voice say, "Hey ya C.J., Its a beautiful morning, isn't it?" Chris kept humming.

Swallowing, C.J. then smiled and walked over to talk to her, "I take it that means you had a good time again last night?"

Chris was busy making coffee and hadn't looked up yet but answered, "Yes I did...we went out to the beach and...where is that filter...oh there it is...yes the beach was so nice and romantic and..." She looked up to finish but slowed down then said, "and he kissed me. It was wonderful. C.J. what's wrong?"

C.J. just smiled back and told her, "Nothing, I'm fine...we were talking about you, don't change the subject."

Chris smiled but then said, "Its just that you don't look like yourself, you look upset or like you had a rough night or something."

C.J. looked down and swallowed again, "I'm just fine, really...so you had a nice time."

Chris noticed the machine starting to brew so she told her, "Yes I did and he's real nice, such a gentleman. I feel like I'm getting my bearings back sort of speak. We're not going to see each other for as long tonight because he's got a stakeout he's conducting around midnight, but he wants to go out to lunch tomorrow. He says its getting harder and harder to stay away from me for any length of time."

C.J. smiled and told her, "That's a good sign. Somehow I knew he'd be good for you." Then she winked at her.

Chris started to pour her a cup and said,"Well, I always knew you and Houston were good for each other..." C.J. took the cup but put her head down quickly. Chris continued, "Its Elizabeth isn't it. That's why you're so down today. What did that woman do?"

C.J. knew she was busted but wanted to talk to Matt first so she just replied, "Nothing for you to worry about really. You just enjoy this time with your detective friend and I'll get back to work."

Chris wasn't letting up and followed her, "Uhuh...well I don't know what she said but I know Houston loves you and not her. Anything she told you was because on some level she knows that too."

C.J. just nodded and said, "I just want this case to be over, like no other case I've ever worked." Chris patted her back, told her not to worry and then told her if she needed anything, she'd be at her desk.

Matt came in just as Chris got back to her desk. He didn't really even see her though, he was so focused on finding C.J.

She was reading something and he walked right up to her. C.J. heard Chris say his name and heard him approach but got a lump in her throat as she continued reading. He sat down beside her and asked, "C.J...I...uh...I think we should talk...about last night..."

She interrupted him, "We can talk about that later. We need to wrap this up first."

She inhaled sharply as if in pain and he brushed the hair off her cheek, "You've been crying..." he said.

C.J. just took another deep breath and told him, "Like I said, we can talk about it later. I'll be fine..." Her voice started to break a little but she swallowed again.

Matt wasn't going to let it go though, "No we can't, we need to talk about it now. I want to know what's wrong. What's bothering you? I love you honey, talk to me."

She pulled over the printout and told him, "Look, according to Baby that organization Craig McKinnon and Michael O'Malley are associated with are having a meeting today, in fact its going on now. This is your best bet to talk to them I think. It says here that they have been out of the country for the last few months and are here to fund raise, and according to this they really need it." She then turned to him and said, "You should go."

Matt then leaned over to kiss her and noticed she tensed up for a second before relaxing. If she wasn't going to listen to his words right now, she'd get the message through his actions. Then he drew her into a hug. He told her before leaving with his hands on her face, "I'll be back and then we can talk. I need to explain what happened last night. I love you, C.J." A tear slipped through as she told him to be careful and that she loved him too.

Then she turned back to the printouts. There wasn't as much on Kathleen Wesley. It appears she grew up in Ireland but didn't go to college. She hadn't really been arrested too much or anything like that so C.J. figured she was probably just a good friend to Elizabeth and there was nothing more to it.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Matt got over to the hotel where the fund raising was going on. He found Michael O'Malley and walked right up to him. O'Malley stuck out his hand, "Mr. Houston...so nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

Matt smiled and shook his hand but said, "I'm sure you have. We actually offered Deborah a pretty good deal. It kept her safe enough. You should actually be really happy with me and Elizabeth Sheridan."

His smile went away and he said, "Really...I should be happy that Mike's wayward sister and her American cowboy boyfriend put my sister in prison? Surely you're joking."

He then turned to walk off but Matt followed him, "I'm not joking..." He grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around, "and I'm hoping to make myself perfectly clear here. Stay away from Elizabeth. Someone has been trying to hurt her. Don't suppose you would know anything about that, would you?"

O'Malley then shrugged and said, "She made a lot of enemies when she killed her brother..."

Matt then interrupted, "I shot her brother, not Elizabeth."

O'Malley then said, "Fine, you shot him. You did it for her and a lot of people aren't happy with her so if someone is going after her now, I wouldn't be surprised. But, I can assure you, that person is not me. Now if you will excuse me. I have my own job to do. Good day."

Matt let him go and then looked for McKinnon whom he found shaking hands with some wealthy businessmen. "Well, now...Jack, Jonathan...what brings you two down here?"

These were guys Matt had met before in the business world. They exchanged pleasantries for a minute, talking about investments and the like while Craig looked more and more nervous.

Once the two businessmen left Matt asked him, "So, you have them thinking this is a business investment, huh. Terrorism a business now?"

Craig started to walk away, "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Matt blocked his path then and said, "Oh I do understand. You see my big problem right now is that you want to help lots of people, but it seems one person has to get killed in the process. What do you know about the attacks on Elizabeth Sheridan?"

Craig shook his head, "I don't know anything about any attacks on her, but she is a traitor, just like her father was. I only met her a few times when Deborah would host meetings with her husband. She always looked really out of it to me. Do you have any idea how much good that inheritance of hers would do to our cause? But no, just like most people who have money, they get it and they don't care who gets hurt as long as it keeps them comfortable, am I right, Mr. Houston?"

Matt then answered him, "Maybe some people act that way, but not all of us. Elizabeth is my friend and I really don't like it when my friends get hurt."

Craig then told him, "I don't care what she does, she's not my concern anymore. That's why I'm here trying to raise money. I figured she wasn't going to come to her senses anytime soon and all of a sudden get her priorities straight. Now, its time you left." He motioned over to some bodyguards. Not wanting to go through 9 rounds with already cracked ribs he put his hands up and started to leave, after issuing one more warning that is.

Matt then headed back to the penthouse. When he got there Chris was out to lunch and C.J. was out on the patio alone. She seemed so distant that morning, but he wasn't surprised. His ex fiancé had come back to town and he didn't come home last night. He wondered if C.J. knew Elizabeth was trying to get him back and figured she probably did. C.J. was so dummy and would see through Elizabeth quickly enough. In fact, she caught on long before Matt did when he was set to marry her.

So, Matt refilled her coffee cup and took it out to her with one of his own. He broke the silence when he noticed she didn't look at him right away. "You know, I could always tell when something bothered you. When we were growing up, you'd go down to the creek and just sit there. It was always so peaceful I guess. Since we moved here, you come out here."

She just seemed to keep staring and then nodded. He put his hand on her back and moved right beside her, "What is it? I'm worried honey. You've never kept anything from me and it seems like that's what you're trying to do now."

C.J. then looked back at him and asked softly, halfway fearing the answer, "Why didn't you come home last night?"

Matt brushed the hair off her face and answered, "I took Elizabeth to her house, told her about Brady, checked the house out and..."

Before he could finish C.J. said, "And you slept there, am I right?"

Matt took a deep breath and told her, "Yes I did. I didn't mean to, but..."

She started to walk away and said, "I know you probably didn't, look I think we need to wrap this case up and then we can discuss what to do next."

Matt was confused, "What do you mean, what to do next?"

C.J. turned to look at him and said, "I think you know. I can't do this right now Matt, I just...please, just don't..." She was starting to cry and Matt really wanted to just go and grab her taking her in his arms, but he had the distinct feeling they weren't exactly talking about the same thing and he needed to know what she was thinking, "I overheard Elizabeth last night. You don't have to worry about me, just...I'm sorry." Then she turned and before he could do anything had left.

Ok, he had never seen her look that hurt before and she said something about overhearing Elizabeth. He didn't remember her saying anything to him last night that C.J. would overhear and wait a minute...Elizabeth said she hadn't called or anything. He ran his hand through his hair and headed over to Elizabeth's house to find out what exactly was going on.

Matt got there and knew right away something was wrong. The door was open and furniture was strewn about the entryway. He drew his gun and walked in slowly. "Elizabeth!" He called out. No answer, but then he thought he heard something fall in the next room. Moving slowly he got around the corner to find Kathleen tied up in a chair, struggling to get free.

Matt rushed over and untied her. She told him frantically, "They took her, they took her, she was screaming and they were hurting her I know...you have to find her before they kill her. They've been trying to kill her."

Matt tried to get her to calm down, "Who, Kathleen, who? Did you get a good look at who they were, how many were there and did you get a good look at a vehicle?"

She just shook her head and said, "No, no I didn't. They put some kind of blindfold over me and all I could do was listen to her screaming. Oh Mr. Houston, they're going to kill her I know it." She dissolved into tears. Matt held her for only a second before calling Hoyt.

His men got over quickly enough and said, "She says she didn't really see anything and that it happened too fast. My men will go through the house with a fine tooth comb, but so far they haven't even recovered one print."

Matt who was clearly distraught told him, "They've already tried twice to kill her." He shook his head, "How do we even know they haven't done it already?" He swallowed hard and at that point C.J. walked in.

She told Hoyt, "I heard it on the news. Do your people have anything yet?" Hoyt shook his head.

Warren came over at that point and said, "Sir, there's nothing. No prints outside of hers, that Kathleen, the housekeeper and Houston's in the main bedroom where Kathleen says Elizabeth was."

C.J. looked down at that point and Matt spun back around to see she wasn't surprised. She asked, "Can I go up and take a look?" She really only said that to get away from Matt's gaze since she didn't really want to talk about why his prints were up there. Warren nodded and took her. Once in the room she found evidence of a struggle and then in the bathroom, on the floor by the sink, she found a vile of some drug. She furrowed her brow and pointed to it. Warren came over and picked it up, showing it to her. He told her, "Its commonly used to brainwash people."

C.J. then said, "Maybe its left from before. When we first took her as a client, she was being drugged and brainwashed with that drug exactly." She then briefly recounted what happened.

He shook his head, "No, its got an expiration date on it...its different though, not like ours, must be from another country."

C.J. nodded and said, "I bet if you check, its from Ireland."

Then he said, "Looks like it was just used though..."

She then said, "It was probably used on her to get her out of here, but because its been used on her before, it didn't have the same effect."

He took it and went to go check it out. As she started to leave the room she took one last look at the bed, the one she had seen Matt and Elizabeth in last night. After inhaling one more time, she went back downstairs.

Hoyt's men were buzzing around. Warren had left, Kathleen was close to being sedated as she kept yelling at them to go find Elizabeth, and Matt was sitting alone in the front living room.

She went and sat down beside him, taking his hand. "We'll find her, Matt. Don't worry."

He looked back at her and took her in his arms, "I didn't want to marry her, C.J., but I told her I'd keep her safe. I don't know why but Kathleen told me she sent those security guards away this morning. Why would she do that?"

She broke their embrace and tried to smile, "Because after last night she probably thought she was coming back to the beach house soon enough."

Matt looked confused and was about to ask why C.J. thought Elizabeth would assume that when Hoyt rushed in, "Houston, patrol officers spotted a van along the docks that fled when they approached. When they went to the warehouse they were coming out of, they found her."

Matt and C.J. jumped up and ran out to her car where she drove them to the address. Matt got out and went over to Elizabeth, crying by the paramedics. She pushed them out of her way and ran up to him, jumping in his arms.

He held her for a minute and then took her back over to paramedics. Crying she pleaded with him to go with her. Matt went back to C.J. and took both her hands, "She's scared, C.J...I..."

C.J. squeezed his hands back and told him, "Go...go with her. I'll be fine." She then smiled and he leaned over one more time to kiss her briefly before going back to Elizabeth being taken to the hospital on a stretcher.

C.J. walked over to where Hoyt and Warren were, scouting the area which was merely a large abandoned warehouse with a single chair in the middle with ropes tied to it.

Warren was shaking his head, "This doesn't make sense..." Hoyt nodded.

C.J. then asked, "What doesn't make sense?" They all walked around and then started to walk out.

Warren explained, "There was no ransom note, no call and the van all but caused a scene when it fled. What was the point?"

Hoyt then said, "Well...as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Unless we are dealing with some first timers, something isn't right here."

C.J. then looked back and said, "Well, at least she was unharmed, outside of being drugged."

At that point they all got in their respective cars and headed over to the hospital. Even though C.J. knew they wanted some kind of statement from Elizabeth, she knew Matt would try to keep them at bay for a while so she could calm down again and so he could get that information first and go after whoever did it.

Sure enough she could hear Matt yelling at Hoyt in the hallway. "Now look...she's been through enough. I'm taking her back to the beach house and tomorrow you can get a statement. She's scared half out of her mind, these guys drug her kicking and screaming out of that house and told her they were going to kill her over and over for several hours."

Hoyt then asked, "Did they do anything else? Say anything else?"

Matt shook his head confused and said, "No...why Hoyt? Wasn't them kidnapping her enough?"

Hoyt took a deep breath and told him, "Look, I'm not wanting to traumatize her any more than she already is, I just want to catch whoever did this before they try again."

C.J. was right beside Matt now as he told Hoyt, "They aren't getting close to her again."

Hoyt nodded and started to leave. C.J. put her hand on Matt's back and asked, "She ok?"

He rubbed his face and looked back at her, "She's going to be fine, in fact they're releasing her in a couple more hours. I think it would be best if she stayed with us until I can find out who did this and stop them before they try it again."

C.J. nodded and told him, "You mean until we can find out and stop them. Matt, even though...look, I don't want anything to happen to her either or to her friend, but the beach house might be a little crowded with all of us there. Maybe it would be best if I stayed at the penthouse until we get this solved."

Matt looked at her completely puzzled and said, "C.J...no, I know the place will be a little cramped, but...what's going on? Why would you think about leaving the beach house, even for one night?" He then thought that maybe she was pregnant and it was hormones influencing her reactions lately.

She really didn't want to do this now, but have this conversation after all the guilty parties were caught. Still, Matt it seemed needed to make a decision and he needed space. She was about to say all that when Elizabeth called out, "Matt, please tell me you didn't leave me."

He turned and opened the door for C.J. to go in too which kind of surprised her. She went in and noticed Elizabeth frown just a little before saying, "I'm sorry, I just don't really want to be alone right now. I've never been more scared..."

Matt took her in his arms and told her, "Its alright, its ok, look they're gonna let you out of here in a few minutes and then we're going back to the beach house alright? No arguing either." He then turned back to C.J. and said, "Either of you."

The doctor came in and C.J. felt a little bit like a third wheel as Elizabeth seemed unwilling to let Matt go. After telling her she checked out completely, Matt took her and helped her to his car. C.J. told him she'd follow behind in a minute and went back in.

She went back to the doctor and asked, "I'm sorry, but I thought she'd have to stay overnight after being drugged."

He looked at her confused and said, "There weren't any drugs in her system."

Now C.J. was confused, "What do you mean, we found morphine and a sedative at the scene that had just been used. If she didn't have it in her system, who did?" He just shook his head and told her it wasn't Elizabeth and then left.

She stood there just trying to figure it all out. Maybe figuring out where the bottle came from would be a place to start and given the new ties Houston Industries had with the pharmaceutical industry, maybe she could just call someone and ask. She got to the phone at the nurses station and called Chris, "Hey Chris, can you do me a favor? I need to know from one of our guys in international law if Ireland tracks prescriptions for morphine as closely as we do. I want to find out where that bottle came from and who it was used on." Chris said she'd check and then hung up.

Right then Kathleen came up and told her, "They said she was released. Can you take me to the beach house?"

C.J. nodded and walked out with Kathleen, it was the last thing she remembered before the lights went out.


	8. Chapter 8

8

C.J. woke up very slowly, tied to a chair in the middle of some abandoned building. Her head hurt bad and she could only faintly make out voices. Her eyes were blindfolded and when she tried to move her arms just a little, found it futile.

She could hear a woman say, "We have to do this. I know its not the original plan but if we want any of that inheritance this is how it has to go."

Then a male voice, "If only she would have just fallen for Brady...they could have gotten married and then when she had her little accident, he could collect that inheritance it would have all been over a month ago. No, she had to keep wanting that stupid American."

The woman then said, "Well, now that stupid American is our only chance at getting that inheritance and think about it...a whole lot more. After they get married, we kill him off first and then her. I've already gotten her to think about putting me in her will. I know by the time we get this all set up, she'll do just that. Then I can fund everything with more than twice what we originally thought. And really, I don't think it will take more than a couple of more months, we just have to be patient."

The man then said as C.J. had figured out that they were talking, thinking she was still out and was acting as though she were, "So what do we do with her?"

The woman then walked over and C.J. had to fight to remain still, "Well, we can't kill her just yet. We want him to think she left him. Elizabeth won't say anything about drugging him and making her think they were in bed together. She'll go along with the plan, she just can't seem to let him go. Then after they marry and he gives up looking for her, we'll kill her then, we should probably time it to occur at about the same time."

They started to walk out and she heard the woman say, "Just keep her alive until then."

C.J.'s heart swelled, Matt had told her before he would never stop looking for her if she went missing. She knew somewhere deep down that Matt loved her but had struggled with whether or not he still loved Elizabeth. She had seen them in bed with her own eyes. Her lawyer training told her that was ironclad evidence, but now she knew better and reprimanded herself for even doubting him, knowing that looks could be deceiving. No, she was going to get back to him and they were going back to that place they were before Elizabeth came back.

Matt got Elizabeth settled in and went to see what they had in the fridge for food. He found whole trays of food he figured C.J. bought last night when she thought they were all coming back to the beach house. Only no one was here, but her.

After making Elizabeth a plate and giving it to her on the couch he asked her, "Tell me again, how it was I managed to pass out in your house and wound up in your bed."

Elizabeth stopped mid bite and said, "Its like I told you, you took that pill and then just sat down and went to sleep. I took care of you, like you are taking care of me now." She smiled and said, "Despite everything that happened today, it feels really good to be with you like this. I never felt so safe as I did when you held me again. All those feelings I've had for you, they just keep flooding back." She put the plate down and started to move closer to Matt.

Matt moved back though and then said, "I don't understand though. You said C.J. didn't call or come over, but she said she overheard you. What exactly was it she overheard?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and then said, "She probably was just referring to me telling Kathleen that you were passed out upstairs and that I was going to take care of you for the night. I doubt she liked the fact that, like it or not, you were staying in my house. She's still jealous Matt, jealous of what we have..."

Matt interrupted and corrected her, "had, Elizabeth, had. We aren't together anymore and we aren't going to be. Look, as soon as your friend Kathleen gets over here I'm going to go to the penthouse and find her and talk to her. I've got security people outside so you won't have anything to worry about."

Elizabeth began to frown and said, "But Matt...if she's upset I think you should let her be for a while. I'm sorry, but really, if she can't trust you or appreciate what she has with you and is going to throw some fit because you're taking care of me, she doesn't really deserve you."

Matt shook his head and went to go get the door as it rang. It was Kathleen and she hurried past Matt to Elizabeth on the second floor. "Are you ok? I went to the hospital and they told me you had left with Mr. Houston here."

Elizabeth smiled and said, "Yes, I'm fine. He's been taking good care of me." As Matt grabbed his keys Elizabeth said, "Really, I think you should just let her think about what she has and understand she can't control you."

Kathleen then spoke up as Matt gave Elizabeth another look, "I'm sorry, but are you two talking about C.J., your wife?"

Matt stopped and then said, "Yes, I am, now ladies, she and I will be back shortly. There are guards out front and..." He started out again.

Kathleen then stepped up and said, "But I just saw her." Matt stopped again and looked at her as she explained, "I saw her at the hospital and she got me a cab. She told me she needed a few days to think and was going out of town. Something about needing a break for a while so you both could think. I didn't really understand that, but she said she wouldn't be back for a few days, to L.A. that is."

Matt was stunned. Surely she wouldn't just take off like that. Both women frowned when Matt turned around and left anyway.

It was late but he got back up to the penthouse and only found Chris and Warren, enjoying a drink out on the patio talking. He stopped for a second and smiled, happy for Chris.

They were giggling as he walked out and quickly put a little distance between them when they saw him. Chris said, "Oh Houston...I'm sorry, I thought everyone was gone for the day."

Matt told her, "I'm just looking for C.J. I take it she isn't here?" He ran his hand through his hair.

Chris shook her head and Warren asked, "She's not at home?" He put his glass down clearly going into detective mode.

Matt shook his head and said, "No, she's not. Elizabeth's friend said something about her telling her she was taking off for a few days and getting out of L.A., but I can't believe she would just leave without telling me where she was going."

Chris then spoke up, "Me either...she had me call down to the lawyer pool and ask about prescriptions in Ireland. I thought for sure she was heading right back. That was the way it sounded to me. I just thought when she didn't come in that she went home."

Warren then asked, "Morphine prescriptions?"

Matt noticed the wheels in head spinning and asked, "That means something to you, what is it?"

Warren then told him, "Well, its just that we found a vile in Elizabeth's bathroom. We figured she was drugged when they kidnapped her. Did the doctor say she had been drugged?"

Matt thought back and answered, "No, she wasn't drugged, just pulled out of the house kicking and screaming." Then he thought for a second and almost said out loud, 'I was the only one who...' Then it hit him, he had been drugged. He just kept blinking for a second.

He turned sharply back to Warren and asked, "What combination of drugs was it?"

Warren answered, "It was the same combination that was used on Elizabeth before. C.J. told me her brother gave her it to brainwash her and get her to say and do things she normally wouldn't. Now that means something to you, doesn't it...what is it?"

Matt got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, "It may mean that C.J. thinks I cheated on her." He looked back out at the skyline. "I know where she might have gone. Sorry, you two, I hate to break this up but I need to use the chopper." They nodded and got out of his way as he climbed in and flew to his cabin.

After not finding her there he flew back and drove back to the beach house where he found Elizabeth and Kathleen asleep in chairs in the living room. C.J. wasn't in bed either. He was half tempted to wake the two of them up and demand they tell him exactly what happened. He just sat on the bed and prayed she was safe and sound somewhere just cooling off or trying to digest what happened.

After spending the rest of the night calling each and every person he knew that C.J. was friends with, he threw water on his face and headed back to the office. He decided to use Baby to track her credit cards, check airlines and buses, nothing would stop him from finding her and setting everything straight.

After he left Warren told Chris he had a thought about where she went and asked if she wanted to go with him. She agreed and they ended up back at the hospital. "What are we doing here?" she asked.

Warren answered as he looked around, "This is the last place anyone saw her. Someone is bound to remember that and it could give us clues as to where she is now." He then saw the doctor that had treated Elizabeth, "Hey doc..." the man stopped and looked back at him as the two walked up to him, "We're looking for C.J. Parsons-Houston, did she stay long after Lt. Hoyt left?"

The doctor answered, "Well, she started to I think but caught up with me to ask about Elizabeth. Why?"

Warren then told him, "No one has seen her in hours and I'm just trying to retrace her last steps. What did she ask?"

The doctor answered, "She just asked if Elizabeth had been drugged. You should know from the report I just filed with an Officer Cummings that she wasn't. I think she went to use the phone after that. I saw her on the one at the nurses station."

Warren thanked him and then he and Chris went over to that station to ask one very nice nurse, about to go off duty, what she had seen. She told him, "Yes, she did use the phone. Then another woman met up with her and the two left together."

Warren asked her to clarify and be sure, "You're sure, they left together?"

The woman then said, "I saw them go out to a car in the parking lot and both got in. It took them a minute I guess, but then I saw the car drive off."

Warren thanked her and told Chris who asked what all this meant. "Maybe nothing, or maybe everything. Hopefully Houston will go home and find her asleep in bed. If not, it was good for us to get this information. It could help us determine what happened to her and where she went."

Chris then told him, soberly, "I hope she's ok."

Warren then put his arm around her and said, "Don't worry. We'll find her. Come on, let me get you home like I promised." They smiled and left.


	9. Chapter 9

9

She wasn't sure how long she had been gone, but it seemed as though light was shining through her blindfold. It could be sunlight or a lightbulb. Her captors had left a couple of times and she would try as hard as possible to get just one hand free from this bind. They weren't tied together behind her but to each arm of the chair, along with her feet tied to each leg.

Maybe she needed to try another approach. She had to keep her emotions in check though. Matt would find her and she just needed to stay alive long enough for that. They weren't set to kill her anytime soon so she had time to work on getting out of this and get back to him. Then would come the task of telling Elizabeth, her new friend was plotting to kill her.

C.J. was so torn, she was beyond angry with Elizabeth setting things up and gas lighting Matt to make her think her husband wanted to leave her. On the other hand, this was going to hurt Elizabeth bad and she never had wished the woman any ill will. She just knew Matt and knew she was no good for him.

She heard a door open and heavy footsteps fall walking toward her. Almost in a whisper she said, "Please, please, I don't know who you are or what you want, but I really need to use the bathroom. I promise, I won't try anything. Please?"

There was a sigh and the male told her, "Hang on, I'll ask." He left her to strategize how she would take him down if only she could get this blindfold off and her hands and ankles unbound.

Matt sat at Baby the rest of the night. He uncovered nothing. Her cards had not been used and she had not booked any flights or bus tickets or anything. She never kept much money on her so he didn't understand that if she drove, how would she get gas to fill up her car. A more unsettling thought was what if she hadn't left willingly. What if whoever was trying to hurt Elizabeth and gone after C.J.

Chris interrupted his train of thought as she came in that morning, "Did you find C.J.?"

Matt shook his head and then rubbed his face, "No, she didn't come back home and she never showed up here. Something's wrong, I know and I've got to find her." He started to get up and make his way to the door telling her, "Look, call the hospital and ask if the nurses on duty yesterday will be there today, I want to talk to them. I'm going to check one more time at the beach house and..."

Chris interrupted him, "Jacob and I did that last night..."

Matt looked at her confused, "Jacob?"

Chris smiled and then said, "Det. Jacob Warren...well, after you left we went down to the hospital and he got statements from everyone that saw C.J. just in case..."

Matt then felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, "Just in case she was missing." He closed his eyes and drove straight over to headquarters.

C.J. waited patiently as the man called someone on the phone and asked about untying her. All she heard him say back was that he wasn't stupid and would be careful. She took one more deep breath as he came over telling her that if she even made one wrong move, he'd kill her and hide her body so well, no one would ever find it.

After untying her arms he bend down to untie her ankles. She cautiously and slowly moved the hand out of his view up and pulled back the blindfold. It was some kind of garage or something and empty. She was the only one in the room. Given the height, she figured it was another, probably smaller warehouse on the docks. She could hear seagulls all night long.

Once he got her other ankle untied she moved quickly and took that rope he left around the chair and pulled it hard around the man's neck until he went unconscious. He might have been able to fight back and regain control, but the way she positioned her leg over his tucked behind him made that impossible. She checked to make sure he was still breathing and then tied him up.

Cautiously making her way out of the warehouse and docks, she hailed a cab and headed back to the beach house. It was still early since there were still a group of day laborers waiting on the pier to be hired for the day, so she figured Matt would be there.

Matt threw open the door to Hoyt's office where he could see both Hoyt and Warren talking, "I want to know what you know. Where's C.J.?"

The two looked at each other and Hoyt said, "We don't know. The two of us were just going over everything that's happened in the last 24 hours."

Matt then looked at the timeline on the board. He tells them, "We've been trying to figure out who is trying to kill Elizabeth. There were two attempts in the last month and both were in Ireland. One was when someone cut her brake line and the other was a snake that was flown in to be dropped in her swimming pool. Then there's the kidnapping yesterday. She doesn't remember anything but two men coming in with masks and grabbing her, putting her in a van and blindfolding her, then your guys rescuing her."

Warren then walked over, "Interpol informed us that Deborah O'Malley is still in prison but her brother and associates Joseph Brady and Craig McKinnon made it into L.A. just a few days ago."

Matt nodded, "I spoke to the brother and McKinnon and neither had any love lost for Elizabeth and Brady ran when I tried to talk to him."

Hoyt then spoke up, "Well, according to prison officials, Deborah was only visited in the last 6 months by Craig McKinnon, her brother and some Kathleen Wesley."

Matt turned around, "Kathleen Wesley? She was visiting Deborah?"

Hoyt then answered, "Apparently she was visiting Deborah weekly until about 5 months ago."

This made no sense to Matt, unless this Kathleen realized what Deborah had tried to do and abandoned her for a friendship with Elizabeth.

Warren then asked, "Isn't that the same woman that was with you and Elizabeth night before last? And wasn't she the only one with Elizabeth when she was kidnapped?"

Matt got that sick feeling again, "Yes she was, and she told me she left C.J. at the hospital yesterday after C.J. told her she needed some time away."

Hoyt then said, "She was the last person to see C.J." Matt closed his eyes and started to head out the door.

Warren caught up to him, "Look, let us handle this interrogation."

Matt simply said, "No." as he kept walking.

Hoyt then caught up and said, "You can't do this, she won't talk to someone breathing down her neck demanding answers."

Matt stopped and turned around, about to lose it as it was becoming clearer and clearer that not only did C.J. think he had cheated on her, but that someone was holding her hostage, on top of the fact that she could be pregnant. That last thought threatened to overwhelm any sense he had and he blurted it out. "You don't understand. C.J. could be pregnant. She could be pregnant with our child and right now she is thinking I cheated on her while someone holds her and our child hostage. Now I can't just sit back and wait for you to conduct an investigation!"

Hoyt and Warren were shocked. Hoyt then took his shoulder and told him, "We aren't leaving you out of this. Let's work together alright." Matt had to take a couple of deep breaths and then the three headed to the beach house.

C.J. had gotten in a cab and got there quickly enough. Seeing Matt's car gone she figured no one was there. She got in and Elizabeth greeted her as she stood in the kitchen in Matt's shirt. C.J. knew what Elizabeth had done, trying to make her think Matt had slept with her before so she knew not to fall for this.

C.J. rolled her eyes as she came in. Elizabeth said, "Oh, C.J...I...uh...this isn't what it looks like."

C.J. told her as she walked by, "Spare me. I'm going to take a shower after calling and getting a hold of Matt. Where is he?"

Elizabeth just looked back at her and said, "Oh, so now you want to call him. Do you have any idea how worried he was last night?"

C.J. could just deck Elizabeth but she took a deep breath and told her, "That's why I want to call him. Now where did he say he was going?"

Elizabeth then told her in an unfriendly tone, "I'm not sure. He left me and my friend Kathleen here yesterday, worried about you."

C.J. froze then, that was the woman's voice...she was the last person she remembered seeing before waking up in that room tied up. C.J. asked quietly, "Is she still here?"

Elizabeth looked confused and said, "Of course she is, she's just upstairs changing. Really C.J. I can't believe you would just take off to make Matt worry."

C.J. told her as she went up to the coffee table upstairs where she and Matt kept a gun pinned under it, "I didn't just take off Elizabeth, I was kidnapped, by your friend Kathleen. Listen just act like everything is just fine when she comes out and don't tell her I'm here." She kept searching but couldn't find the gun.

Elizabeth then told her with her hands on her hips, "I don't believe you. Kathleen has been nothing but supportive of me and I won't let you say those things about her."

C.J. rolled her eyes and sat back on her ankles and said, "Elizabeth I don't have time..."

At that point Kathleen called out, "Elizabeth...do you have a hair dryer?"

Elizabeth shouted back with her hands on her hips, "Yes I do, just in the drawer under the sink."

C.J. took a deep breath and then said, "Look I understand that she's been your friend, but she's not who you think she is. Just trust me on this."

Elizabeth shook her head and told her, "I don't think I trust you with anything, especially Matt. I had to watch him yesterday, C.J. worried out of his mind because you just took off..."

C.J. then told her as she quietly walked past the spare bedroom after hearing the hair dryer going, "I didn't just take off." She got in the master bedroom as Elizabeth followed her and got her gun from the nightstand.

Elizabeth's eyes got big and she asked, "What are you doing?"

C.J. checked to see if it was loaded and then said, "I going to protect both of us." Elizabeth tried to grab her but C.J. pushed her back a little, on to the bed. Then something caught her eye outside the window. Two men approached, one of them the man that held her hostage. She knew she had to get them out of there fast. She didn't feel like she could take them all on.

She told Elizabeth, "We have to get out of here now."

Elizabeth looked at her like she was crazy and told her firmly, "I'm not going anywhere, not with you."

C.J. then turned the gun on her and said, "Oh yes you will. Matt wants you to be safe so the two of us are just going to duck outside before those two make it over here and slip out the back."

Elizabeth was horrified, "I can't believe...you're kidnapping me. C.J...what...it's because Matt wants me back isn't it. Listen, let me explain..."

C.J. pushed her toward the door and said, "We'll talk about that later, for now...move and keep it quiet." She knew she didn't have it in her to really shoot Elizabeth but was willing to shoot her way out to and leave Elizabeth there to fend for herself if need be.

They made it out the back door as the two were going in the front door. C.J. told her to walk and blend in with the rest of people walking along. They got to a pay phone and she called the penthouse, Chris told her, "C.J.! Houston is looking all over for you, where are you?"

She answered, "Elizabeth is with me. We're down at the boardwalk, I'm not entirely sure where we're heading next. Where is Matt?"

Chris answered, "I'm sure he headed over to the police station."

C.J. then told her, "Ok, I'll call the station and see if they can patch me through." She hung up and saw Elizabeth trying to back away. She motioned to her again that she had a gun and she stopped. The dispatcher patched her through to Hoyt's car.

Matt's eyes went wide when he they called out to Hoyt and grabbed the radio out of his hand. "C.J.!" He called out.

C.J. closed her eyes for a second so happy to hear his voice. She told him almost with tears in her eyes and said, "Matt...I...I love you."

Matt tried hard to keep his own emotions in check and told her back, "I love you too, honey so much...just tell us where you are."

C.J. told him, "Elizabeth is with me, we're both fine but we had to get out of the beach house. The men who held me hostage are there. We're heading..." Then the phone died.

Matt called out, "C.J.! C.J.!" He almost threw the radio down and Warren hit the lights as they sped to the beach house.


	10. Chapter 10

10

Kathleen came out of the room and a man grabbed her from behind. He let her go quickly and she pushed him back, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you watching her!"

Michael O'Malley then looked down and told her, "She...sort of...got away."

Kathleen then screamed, "She what!" She started pacing and then ran through the beach house looking for Elizabeth. "Damn it! Elizabeth's not here either. This is all falling apart."

O'Malley then told her, "Look, why don't we just cut our losses and try again later. Wait until she gets lonely again and set her up with another brother and..."

Kathleen then looked at him like his was crazy and said, "We don't have that much time. I'm tired of hanging on by a thread and scraping by while traitors like her live the high life. No, this is ending here and now. Come on, let's go find them." She grabbed the gun from the room, the one she found under that table and they headed out.

They could hear police sirens in the distance getting closer and began jogging down the boardwalk to get lost in the crowd themselves.

C.J. had only put in just enough to cover a two minute phone call and just when she was going to tell Matt where they were going, it got disconnected. She turned and looked around for a second and then told Elizabeth, "Come on, I think there's a branch of our bank around here somewhere so I can get enough for us to lay low for a while."

Elizabeth still looked at her like she was crazy so C.J. then flashed her the gun again and she went willingly. After the two went in together and the nice teller who had seen C.J. on tv multiple times gave her $200 out of her account without her ID, they hailed a cab and went to a small motel not but 5 miles away.

They checked in and Elizabeth asked her, "So what do you plan to do now? Kill me?" She asked shivering, "You know what Matt will do if something happens to me?"

C.J. checked the window again after finding the phone didn't work and told her after rolling her eyes, "I don't plan to kill you Elizabeth. In case if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to save your life."

Elizabeth then sat on the bed and said, "Really, well its kind of hard to believe that when you've been holding a gun on me."

C.J. then sat the gun down on the table, sat down beside her on the bed and told her, "Listen, I know this is hard to hear but Kathleen is plotting against you." Elizabeth shook her head but C.J. continued, "Wasn't she the one who introduced you to Joseph Brady?"

Elizabeth seemed to digest that and slowly nodded, "She said she knew him from grade school or something. He seemed like such a nice man and he paid lots of attention to me."

C.J. then nodded and said, "But you broke up with him, why?"

Elizabeth then got up, putting her hands on the tv. "I found out he was a friend of my brother's, that he knew what my brother had done to me. I just couldn't be with someone connected to all that." She then turned back around to C.J. and told her, "I'm sure you find that quite amusing I guess. That I couldn't see through him for what he was."

C.J. shook her head and told her, "No, I don't, not at all. In fact I know quite well what it's like to fall for the image a man projects, not the man himself. I've been fooled myself."

Elizabeth then asked, "What are you talking about...you have the most amazing man in Matt..."

C.J. then told her, "I know I do now, but...well...a little over a year ago I fell really hard for a man named Robert Tyler. Matt and I knew him from college and he had just blown back into town as a news broadcaster. He had been in town for 6 weeks when, while conducting a very exclusive interview, the man's wife was kidnapped." She put her head down and then told her, "I was worried about him getting hurt and I asked Matt to watch out for him and when he did that, he uncovered that Robert set up all the major news stories that got him every promotion. When he was finally arrested, I found out that his next big story was going to be my murder."

Elizabeth gasped, "The man planned to kill you for publicity?"

C.J. then nodded and said, "It was actually worse than that. He got out on a technicality and tried to do almost exactly what he described. For a few hours, Matt thought he had and that I was dead. When I got back to him...well...it drew us together. Robert was killed by another man we were investigating but it took me a long time to try to get past all that. So I know what its like to have a man present himself one way and be the complete opposite on the inside."

Elizabeth nodded and then told her, "I felt so stupid and I thought it was just proof that I was meant to..." she closed her eyes and then said, "that doesn't matter now I guess. The only bright spot in all this was Kathleen though. She kept telling me not to give up and keep pressing on. I just can't believe she would be behind this and I'm sorry but you'll have to show me some kind of proof."

C.J. then thinks about it and tells her, "I can prove it. You say you need proof, well, come with me. We'll go to O'Malley's house and I'll be willing to bet you that within a few hours, we'll see the both of them together talking about all this I'm sure. Will you believe me then?"

Elizabeth looked skeptical but then said, "Fine, are you going to keep that gun on me the whole time?"

C.J. took a deep breath and then said, "I have to take it, but I won't hold it on you, alright. Its for protection." She nodded and the two caught another cab.

Not finding C.J. or Elizabeth anywhere Kathleen told them they would split up and she would head back to the beach house and meet up at Michael's later. She planned to have Matt and the police think she had been kidnapped too with Elizabeth, but she had gotten away. She knew C.J. hadn't seen her face and assumed she never knew who was holding her. She could stay close to the investigation and keep her men informed. Her role the entire time was to maneuver things.

Matt, Hoyt and Warren rushed into the beach house not finding a soul there. Since it was his house, Matt checked to see if all their guns were where they were supposed to be. C.J. would take one hopefully to protect herself. He found that the one under the coffee table was missing as was the one in their nightstand.

In the nightstand, in its place was C.J.'s engagement ring. She must have put it there to tell him that she was still out there. Matt was barely breathing as he picked it up. She had been there, he had just missed her. He ran his hand through his hair and then tucked the ring carefully in his pocket close to his heart.

He got back downstairs as Hoyt's lab boys were coming in. He was barking out orders for them to collect prints and any other evidence they could gather. Warren started going through Elizabeth's and Kathleen's things and found a whole stack of receipts.

Warren called all the men in, "Look what I found. These are receipts for everything from airline tickets to fake IDs. Seems Ms. Kathleen Wesley has also been Ms. Katherine Walton, Ms. Karoline Williams and Ms. Katy Woldorn. I'll take these and run them through Interpol to see if they come up with a hit." He then walked past them and out the door to his car.

Kathleen was just about to make her entrance when she heard Warren tell another officer, "If you see this woman, approach with caution. She could be close by and goes by the name Kathleen Wesley." At that point she backed up suddenly, turned and went quickly in the other direction.

Matt then just looked around the room and said, "I just can't believe all this. I thought I was helping a friend find out who was targeting her and now my wife..." He closed his eyes for a second before finishing, "my wife has been kidnapped and is out there somewhere running for her life trying to protect my ex fiancé."

Hoyt told him, "Well, since this Kathleen is no where to be found, let's go talk to this O'Malley and McKinnon fellow and see if they know anything."

They nodded to each other and headed out.

At O'Malley's house, C.J. and Elizabeth decided to stake out the place after breaking into the garage. They had taken a cab to the street behind his house and then walked around the block, watching carefully to make sure no one spotted them.

For the next couple of hours they sat and waited on the floor of the laundry room that C.J. figured O'Malley probably never went into himself. It wasn't exactly a mansion but the laundry room was located just off the main bedroom on the first level in a hallway that connect that room and the living room.

After waiting that first hour, C.J. snuck out and grabbed a couple of sodas with some peanuts. She was starving. They didn't exactly feed her when they held her hostage.

Elizabeth thanked her and then asked, "So, you sure knew how to get past that security system."

C.J. nodded her head and told her, "A few years ago we were working a case where I went undercover and had to break into a safe. Matt taught me what to look for in a system and I know well how to hack into computer systems. It really wasn't that hard."

Elizabeth then asked her, "You've been working with him a long time."

She nodded her head and said, "Yes I have and I've known him longer. We grew up together. He's my best friend and I've trusted him with my life more times than I can count. Don't worry Elizabeth, he won't rest until everyone that's tried to hurt you is in jail."

Elizabeth was about to say something when they heard the door open.

"Who does she think she is?" O'Malley said rather angry.

Another male voice C.J. didn't recognize but Elizabeth did said, "She thinks she's the leader of this whole outfit. Look, we just need to sit down and think about this for a minute. That Houston woman is bound to show up soon enough and at some point she's gonna be able to pick you out of a line up. I think its best that you head on back."

Elizabeth whispered, "That's Craig McKinnon, I recognize the voice. He used to come around the house all the time to talk to Michael." C.J. nodded and they kept listening.

O'Malley then slammed something down, "And how am I supposed to do that exactly. We're broke Craig. She's right. Joseph used the last of the savings posing as a wealthy businessman because that's clearly what Mike's sister went for. Remember the wealthy cowboy playboy? Ugh, if only she would have just married Joseph, then he could have killed her off in her sleep one night and all our money problems would be solved."

At that point Elizabeth couldn't help but gasp. The men stopped talking and C.J. slowly and quietly went for her gun. She got it out in front of her just before the men started talking again, "I know, I know...look plan A clearly didn't work and now plan B doesn't look like its going to work either. So what do we do now?" Craig asked.

O'Malley then said, "We wait til we get that call from her. She'll come up with something I know it. In the meantime just keep your gun handy in case we have to make a quick getaway. I'll see if we can't use that last card Joseph had of Elizabeth's to book some flight reservations to get back. It might work."

The two men it seemed left the living room and went to other rooms to do those things. C.J. then whispered to Elizabeth, "The she they're talking about is Kathleen. Do you believe me now?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "They didn't say it was her. It could be anyone."

C.J. lost her patience and whispered back, "Do you want to know what plan B is?" Elizabeth looked scared but C.J. continued, "Its the plan where you marry Matt and then Kathleen convinces you to put her in your will. Then they kill Matt, wait for you to collect and then kill you. Then, not only will your inheritance go to their organization but everything Matt worked so hard to build."

Elizabeth was now angry, "No...I can't believe...no, I didn't do this, I didn't bring this danger into his life. I love him..."

She started to cry and C.J. took a deep breath and told her, "I know you don't want anything to happen to Matt, just calm down or you'll get us both discovered. I'm telling you Kathleen is involved in all this. Please just calm down and sit back. She'll be here soon, I'm sure."

Matt and Hoyt got to Craig McKinnon's apartment, the one listed on the receipts they found quickly enough and discovered he wasn't there. As Hoyt started to walk away, Matt broke a window.

Hoyt turned back sharply and asked, "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Matt then told him, "Looks like someone broke in Hoyt and you, as a member of law enforcement are duty bound to investigate to see if the guilty party is still around." Matt wasn't really smiling, he was getting more and more desperate to find C.J. He knew he was breaking rules, but didn't really care at that point.

They got in and found all kinds of evidence. On the walls of this apartment he rented just 5 days ago they found maps of London along with pictures to coincide with key landmarks downtown.

Matt said, "Looks like this is where they were planning something, although with the way its organized or not organized, it might be hard to figure out exactly what it was they were planning."

Hoyt then picked up a few papers and said, "Well, it does require multiple vehicles and it doesn't look like they can afford them. Look here, these are notices as to why they were turned down for credit with multiple companies when they tried to purchase a 'small fleet for a business venture'."

Matt just looked around and said, "Business venture, some business venture. They plan to hurt people. This people are dangerous...oh, C.J., where are you?"


	11. Chapter 11

11

C.J. was sitting in a laundry room with Elizabeth waiting for Kathleen to make her grand entrance. All she wanted to do was go find Matt, run into his arms and tell him how sorry she was that she thought he had cheated on her.

As Elizabeth had fallen asleep beside her, all C.J. could think about was that last week in Tahiti over and over. The way Matt loving held her each night and would ask each morning how she felt as if she would know within just hours that she had conceived, as if morning sickness was instantaneous.

C.J. smiled to herself as she thought about all the different ways he was trying fuss over her, and knew that when or if she did get pregnant, it would bring out this side of him she couldn't wait to see.

It really hadn't been that long since she had gotten off birth control, but she really thought she'd get pregnant on the first go around. Her disappointment came back as she now had time to think about it. All the doubts had time also to slip into her mind. What if she couldn't get pregnant? What if something was wrong that the doctor hadn't caught yet and she couldn't give Matt the one thing he wanted more than anything. He'd be so disappointed but wouldn't leave her. How would she handle that? Knowing that he gave up on one of his most important dreams for her? How different would that be from what Elizabeth had tried to get him to do 6 months ago when she asked him to quit for her.

C.J. then shook her head, 'I'm over thinking everything. Its only been one month. C.J. get over yourself.'

She stood up almost pacing as she waited for this dumb woman to show up. Matt must be tying himself in knots right now looking for her. All C.J. could think about was how neither her nor Elizabeth were being held at gunpoint and she still had yet to go to him. But if Elizabeth wouldn't accept that Kathleen was working against her then she would just run to her and that would put her in danger, possibly costing her, her life.

Even though Matt wasn't in love with Elizabeth anymore, C.J. knew he counted her among his friends and knew what it would do to him if something happened to Elizabeth. No, this was the only way. Hopefully this woman would show up before C.J. starved to death, she thought.

It took hours for Warren, the police and the federal agents that got called in to go through everything in McKinnon's apartment.

This was killing him. He took out her ring and twirled it around his finger over and over.

Hoyt came up and told him, "She called us and told us she got away from them. She took your gun. I'm sure she's probably just laying low for a while."

Matt shook his head, "She'd call me. I know she would. She wouldn't let me worry like this...even if..."

Hoyt finished his statement, "Even if she thought you slept with Elizabeth." Matt looked surprised and he continued, "I talked to Warren. He told me about what you two were speculating. Said something about you probably being slipped some drug. I'm just guessing here but you remember talking to Elizabeth and then the next thing you know, you're waking up?"

Matt nodded, "And then I go and find C.J. who was up all night crying her eyes out. Asks me why I didn't come home and if I slept at Elizabeth's house." He then looked back at the ring and said, "I told her I didn't mean to, but I didn't clarify what I didn't mean to do. She probably thinks I meant that I didn't mean to sleep with Elizabeth." He ran his hand through his hair, almost crying and said, "I meant I didn't mean to take my pain medication and pass out over there because that's what Elizabeth told me I did."

He looked back at the ring again and said, "I have to tell her. I'm scared to death Hoyt that something might happen to her and she'll...she'll still think I did that to her."

Hoyt patted his back and told him, "She knows you love her. Deep down I think she knows you'd never do that."

Matt then told him, "But what did she see? I mean for all I know, Elizabeth had me stripped down, in bed with her, kissing her or...worse...I don't even remember. What if C.J. saw all that. How much damage has already been done?" Then Matt seemed to lose his patience and headed back down the steps.

Hoyt hollered out, "Where are you going?"

Matt hollered back, "I'm going to see Mr. O'Malley and convince him to tell me where my wife is." He threw open the door to his car and tore off down the street. Hoyt watched him go and just prayed he wouldn't do anything to get himself arrested.

An officer then came up behind him and told him, "Sir, I think we may have something."

C.J. heard the door open and then slam shut. It woke up Elizabeth and the two got closer to the door to hear O'Malley say, "Its about time. What are we going to do next?"

They heard Kathleen say, well they heard most of it because she was still talking rather softly, "Go to plan C I guess. I've been waiting at Elizabeth's house but it doesn't look like she going back there. So I made a list of all the places her Mr. Houston likes to hang out, the penthouse, a cabin he has in Pinewood and a couple of local hotels he keeps a tab with. Now, I don't think they headed to the cabin because we have the wife's wallet and Elizabeth's purse so they have little money. O'Malley I want you to check out the penthouse and the hotel across the street to see if they're there. McKinnon I want you to check out these two hotels."

O'Malley then asked her, "And where will you be?"

She answered, "At the warehouse, pier five, where we were holding her before someone screwed up and let her go."

Craig then asked, "Ok, but what's plan C?"

She smiled and then answered, "We catch both of them and hold them for ransom. Houston is loaded and its clear he'd do anything for both of them. We'll give him one when he turns over Elizabeth's money and the other when he turns over his."

O'Malley then said, "I say we don't give him the wife back, not in one piece. He's responsible for Deborah having to live in that jail cell for almost a year. I say we send her back in pieces."

Kathleen said, "Maybe you're right, I hated seeing my old friend suffer the way she did. Just do whatever, after we get the money."

They agreed and C.J. watched as Elizabeth just dropped to the floor. Although she was still a little angry for what she did with Matt, she looked broken. C.J. told her, "They're gone, we can go. I think since your house is so close by and they won't be looking for us there, that's the place to go."

Elizabeth just nodded and told her, "I'm sorry...you don't, I mean...after what I did I..."

C.J. knew she was probably trying to apologize for what she did with Matt but not able to get the words out. So C.J. told her, "Listen we can discuss all this after we get out of here and contact Matt."

They got up and slowly, cautiously made their way out and to Elizabeth's house. All the way she kept saying, "I can't believe she'd do that to me. I thought she was my friend."

C.J. kept reassuring her over and over that Matt was a true friend and would always be there for her. C.J. was so relieved when they got in and locked up behind them. She asked Elizabeth if she could shower and change.

Elizabeth just sat in the living room and told her, "Yes that's fine. There are plenty of clothes to choose from that should fit. I'll...I'll just be down here."

C.J. walked over to her one more time and told her, "Why don't you get something more to eat, huh. Those peanuts were good, but not really filling."

She nodded her head and told C.J., "You just go change and I'll call Matt to tell him where we are." C.J. agreed and went upstairs. Elizabeth didn't call Matt though.

Matt had enough of the waiting. He needed to find her now. He knew O'Malley would know more about C.J. disappearance and all he could think of was how he wanted her back.

He got out of his car and banged on the door. When no one answered, he pulled out his breaking and entering kit and picked the lock. It wasn't difficult and he walked right in. The alarm was blinking but not activating. Upon closer inspection someone had rewired it and hacked into it disabling it.

Matt's heart began to swell. That had to have been C.J. who did that, which meant she had broken in here. He began looking around for evidence of her presence when he went into the laundry room. A pool of soda seemed to be coming from behind the dryer and when he looked he found two cans with lipstick and an empty bag of peanuts.

He smiled and thought they had hid out in this room and probably learned more about O'Malley and his operation. But why didn't they call him when they got out of here? He ran his hand through his hair and continued to look around.

He found some empty beer cans in the kitchen and a couple of gun cartridges in the patio area outside. In the study he found on the desk an notepad with a confirmation number for two tickets to Ireland and a credit card number with E.S. notated beside it.

He thought to himself, 'Probably having Elizabeth pay for their escape.'

As he was about to leave he noticed a folded up piece of paper under a couch. He went over, bent down and picked it up. It had a list of places under Matt's name, his penthouse, beach house, cabin and hotels he used for business and friends when they came to town.

He furrowed his brow and then called the office. Chris picked up and he told her, "Listen Chris, I want you to call down to Barney and tell him not to allow anyone up to the penthouse unless its us or Warren or Hoyt...Chris?"

Then Matt heard a scuffle and hollered into the phone, "Lay one hand on her and you're dead..." Then the phone hung up. He called quickly to the security desk but didn't get an answer. Then Matt ran back out to his car.

He called Hoyt and got Warren instead as Hoyt was still at McKinnon's apartment. "Lt. Hoyt's office, Det. Warren speaking."

Matt forgot for a second that Chris and Warren were dating and said, "Warren, listen, there is an intruder in my office. I need officers over there now, Chris..." He heard the phone hang up and then remembered they were dating. No doubt Warren was tearing over there himself at that moment.

Matt pulled in quickly to find at least 10 squad cars in the parking garage. He hurried up to the penthouse where Warren was directing all the men, "I want prints, DNA, if whoever did this so much as spit on the floor, I want it. No one goes home til she's found, got it."

Matt swallowed hard and looked around. Chris' desk was cleared and her chair overturned. There was also a small amount of blood on the door leading to the stairwell.

Warren walked over to it and stared for a moment. Matt walked up to him and said, "I called her when I found this."

He handed Warren the list and he said "They're looking for C.J. I'm sure. She got away from them. I know she's trained for years how to defend herself, but Chris...she doesn't have all that. I showed her a few things last week but...I'm gonna kill this guy when I find him."

Matt patted his shoulder and told him, "You'll have to wait your turn." Matt then walked back over to Chris' desk and then said, "If they came here then they are probably just going to keep going to all those places looking for her and Elizabeth."

Warren then took Chris' phone and called out holding the list, "Dispatch I want units at the following locations. We have a kidnapping and suspects are..." He proceeded to give the dispatcher all the information as Matt walked back into the penthouse.

He shook his head and said to himself, "C.J. please call me again and tell me where you are and that you're alright."


	12. Chapter 12

12

C.J. let the hot water run over her shoulders for almost a whole hour. Her muscles ached from fighting off O'Malley to get away from him, on top of how hungry she still was. Her thoughts kept going back to Elizabeth and how upset she looked.

She knew that despite everything Elizabeth had been through the wringer. After leaving Matt by mutual decision, she had gone back, met this woman who only planned to con her, got set up with a man through this woman and then had all these people after her, trying to kill her.

As she thought about all of those things, C.J. suddenly got dizzy and almost fell. She caught herself and wondered but then realized she hadn't really slept in two days and hadn't eaten much in one. The nice hot water probably wasn't helping as much anymore either.

She stepped out and could hear Elizabeth calling out to her, "Are you ok in there?"

C.J. dried off quickly enough and then put on the clothes Elizabeth lent her. She came out and told her, "Yes I am, just exhausted I think. Did you get a hold of Matt and tell him where we are?"

Elizabeth smiled and said, "I'm sure he'll be here shortly. Here C.J. I made you some hot tea this time, you look tired."

C.J. nodded and told her, "I am actually, I..." she yawned, "I haven't slept much in the last 24 hours."

Elizabeth told her, "Here drink this and just lay back on the bed here. Matt will be here soon I'm sure. Don't worry about anything."

C.J. took about one drink and did so. As soon as her head hit that Egyptian cotton covered pillow she fell asleep. Elizabeth just watched as she laid there sleeping. She hadn't called Matt because she didn't want him trying to stop her. She thought about drugging C.J. but couldn't find that vile she left in the bathroom. No Elizabeth decided she needed to take care of this herself.

Hoyt came rushing into the penthouse after hearing the call come through the radio. "Ok, so fill me in."

Warren came over with the list, "Houston found this in O'Malley's house. He called right away but Chris..." Warren had to swallow hard for a second and then continued, "Chris already had them in the penthouse, at least one of them. We found one set of prints and Matt ran them through Baby and they match O'Malley's. I already got a hold of Harmago, got a warrant and issued an APB.

Hoyt nodded and then said as Matt walked over from Baby. "Ok, so I take it we now after another missing person." Warren put his head down and walked past Matt. Hoyt looked confused, "What did I say?"

Matt then smiled just a little and told him, "He and Chris have been seeing each other. He's worried about her like I am for C.J. I think."

Hoyt then understood and said, "So that explains why he called twice as many officers over here than protocol. Ok, well, the APB will help but what we really need to know is why they took Chris, why they took C.J., we think we have reasons as to why they are going after Elizabeth. We need motive and I don't think revenge is really enough."

Matt nodded and told him as they walked back to Baby, "Well, the motive is money I'm sure. I did a little more research on Joseph Brady. He's not a wealthy businessman like he told Elizabeth. After I ran into him, he booked a flight and left for Ireland within about 2 hours."

Hoyt then asked as he had sat down on the couch also, "So he's in the wind?"

Matt clicked some buttons and said, "Yeah, he is. I think he's tied to all this but has nothing to do with C.J.'s and Elizabeth's disappearance, Chris' kidnapping or anything else in the last few hours." He clicked more buttons and pulled up another image. "He's a con man and tied to that organization. Elizabeth said he was really interested in her and I thought he was just using her, trying to get to her inheritance, until I found this."

Matt clicked more buttons and found the police report on Elizabeth's car incident and an invoice for an exotic animal transfer with Brady's name on it. "According to the mechanic's report the brake line was cut when she was out about 20 miles from the cemetery, she called it in and within 30 minutes Brady had shown up to take Elizabeth home. That area isn't prone to a lot of traffic either or steep embankments."

Hoyt nodded, "He got there too quickly to have just been called and told. He knew in advance and it wasn't as close a call either."

Matt nodded and then told him, "Then there's the invoice on that snake she found in the swimming pool." He pulled up the photo of the dead snake, "From the invoice I found in their customs records, Joseph Brady had it flown in from south Texas, I recognized it right away. Its a water moccasin, they are extremely deadly and stay in wet places. The only thing with this guy is that someone had captured it, pulled out the venom glands and shipped it."

He shook his head at that point and Hoyt patted his back, "So again, it appears to be a close call but isn't. Nothing really is the way it appears." He kept thinking.

Matt then told him, "I think this Kathleen is the one really running things. When I pulled up those aliases Warren found, she's been listed as a witness in several terrorist attacks and almost attacks. She always seems to be around, I think maneuvering things. I think the original plan was for her to fall for this Brady guy. Then I think they planned to kill her once she put him in her will." Matt had to close his eyes for a second because he hated the idea that someone was using her that way.

Hoyt picked up on it and then said, "If that was the original plan, what happened?"

Matt then told him, "Elizabeth figured him out. She told me when she found out he was tied to those terrorists, she dumped him."

Hoyt then said, "Ok, so why kidnap C.J.?"

Matt then said, "I don't know...maybe..." He started to pace, "maybe they thought, like Elizabeth thought, I would go back to her. This Kathleen planted herself in Elizabeth's life. I'm sure Elizabeth told her I didn't just go running back because of..." He swallowed again, "C.J. I made it clear to Elizabeth that I'm committed and love C.J., and C.J. only now."

Warren walked in then, his eyes a little redder than a few minutes ago, "So they decided to remove C.J. from the picture, get Elizabeth to marry you and then go after her. Why would they want that though. It still keeps them out in the cold."

Matt then sat down as both watched him hack into a state computer in Dublin. Both men decided to turn away for just a second, Hoyt actually pulled out that roll of antacids and popped about 4.

Matt then told them, "Elizabeth changed her will. If something happens to her, Kathleen would collect her inheritance on the stipulation that she maintain Elizabeth's family's estate. It hasn't been finalized through the courts though. I wonder if she knows this...if not, she's probably been pushing Elizabeth to do it. She's been setting her up all along."

Warren then said, "So they tried to get Elizabeth to fall for this Brady guy. That doesn't work and he comes here to help with the fund raising and planning. Then he runs into you. This Kathleen shows up, helps Elizabeth gas light you, probably to drive a wedge between you and C.J." Matt tensed up then but he kept going, "Maybe that didn't work..."

Matt's eyes then shot up at Warren, "What do you mean?"

Warren then said as he stood up, "Kathleen felt like she had to kidnap C.J. Think about it, if her little plan was working as well as she thought it was, she wouldn't have done that. C.J. probably wasn't entirely convinced and then she calls Chris...wait a minute..." He pulled out his notepad, the one he keeps track of all interviews on and said, "She called Chris to ask about the drug we found."

He had to take a deep breath again and Hoyt told him to just sit down and keep going. Warren did just that and said, "C.J. asked her about tracking who the vile belonged to. I think she suspected that it had been slipped to Matt since it wasn't in Elizabeth's system. When we found it, it was clear it had just been used and she assumed they had used it to make Elizabeth easier to get out of the house."

He flipped a few more pages and said, "That nurse said she was just getting off the phone with Chris when a woman approached her and they left together. If Kathleen overheard her, she would know that C.J. had figured out that Matt had been drugged and knew it would only be a matter of time before she put the rest together. Kidnapping C.J. probably appeared to be the only alternative."

Matt then said, "And doing what with her?" He was blinking, "Taking her out of the picture, right? H...How..." It was a struggle for him to get that question out. He turned away from them and went out to the patio himself taking several deep breaths.

Hoyt came up behind him, "Don't forget, she got away." Matt turned back and nodded, but Hoyt continued, "Keep your focus. That research helps explain what's going on. We need that to figure out what they would do next."

Matt then said, "It explains a lot, but still doesn't tell me where C.J. is or why she hasn't gotten in touch with me. This isn't like her, Hoyt, we both know that."

They then heard Warren yelling inside, "I don't care...I don't care how much you have on your desk, if you don't get that blood sample tested I swear I'm gonna knock you down and I don't mean to meter maid!"

Hoyt then went in and took the phone from him, telling him to go get a breath of fresh air before he landed himself on suspension.

After Hoyt took over the phone rang again. One of the officers said, "Mr. Houston, its Elizabeth."

Matt rushed over and grabbed the phone, "Elizabeth, where are you? Where is C.J.? Is she with you?" The questions were coming one on top of the other.

Elizabeth looked back over at C.J. lying so still on the bed and said, "She's at my house. You'll find her upstairs in my bedroom in my bed. I'm sorry Matt, I really am, please know that I love you." She had tears in her eyes as she put the phone back down, picked up C.J.'s gun and then walked out.

Matt was yelling now into the phone, "Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" He dropped the phone and ran to the elevator.

As he got in Hoyt was asking, "Where are you going? Where are they?"

Matt hit the buttons and only got out, "Elizabeth's house. You two stay and keep working to find Chris. I'll call when I get there."

Hoyt then tried to say, "But Houston, let me send..." He took a deep breath and then said, "my men to go with you." He then told the officer at Chris' desk, "Call in units to Elizabeth Sheridan's residence and tell them we believe our kidnapped victims may be there safe and sound."

Warren then looked back at Chris' desk just staring at it. "You know I was going to ask her to go to that rock concert that's coming in next week. The one that asked for double detail?"

Hoyt nodded and chuckled, "If I remember right, you specifically told me that security detail for some spoiled little rich boys whose only talent in life was carrying a tune was menial and beneath you."

Warren smiled for a second and then said, "They're one of her favorite bands. When her house was broken into I walked around each room with her while she tried to determine if anything was missing. She told me she had a confession to make when we got to the closet in one of the spare bedrooms, that she secretly liked a band she didn't think she was supposed to. Said something about it not appealing to her demographic or something, only teenagers. But she liked the beat and some of the love songs. She said she wondered what it would be like to have someone sing one of those songs for her or get flowers delivered to her at work or..." He put his head down, "Anyway, I arranged with Marks to get switched so I could work the set up and then take her the next night."

He walked over and picked up a picture she had on her desk of her, Matt and C.J. Warren rubbed her image and then said, "I planned to see if I couldn't get the lead singer to say on stage when he sang that love song that it was dedicated to her from me."

Hoyt patted him on the back and said, "We'll find her. I know she's knows you are looking for her and you are one fine detective. I'm sure she knows you'll find her and rescue her."

Warren then put the picture down and said, "I just hope she's ok. I see why they took C.J. but Chris...she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She's not an asset to them, they don't need her alive. She's been through so much this year." He closed his eyes and Hoyt again reassured him, telling him to stay focused and he was her best chance at getting out of all of this alive.


	13. Chapter 13

13

Matt rushed into Elizabeth's house. The door was left ajar and fear pierced through him at the sight. He pulled his gun, his emotions threatening to take control of his senses. He cautiously made his way up the stairs to the bedroom. The door was open and he could see C.J. laying on the bed with her back to him, so incredibly still.

His feet flew, everything else in the world shutting itself out as he ran to her. He threw open the rest of the door and rushed to her side. He swallowed hard as pushed the hair back from her face, praying she was ok, she was just so still.

"C.J." he whispered, but she didn't move. He couldn't bear to try to look for a pulse, but whispered a little louder this time, "C.J. please..." He was holding his breath.

Her eyes started to flutter open and he exhaled hard, "Oh, C.J., thank God..." She started to sit up a little but her eyes were squinting as she was so deep asleep when he came in. He put his hand on her shoulder and told her, "Don't move too much, honey. I'm calling an ambulance." He then reached over to Elizabeth's phone.

Once she woke up for a second and saw him try to reach for the phone she grabbed him by the neck. He dropped the phone and embraced her just as tightly. "I love you Matt, I'm so sorry I...I just love you so much."

Matt patted her back as a tear slipped through his own eye. He told her, "I love you, so very very much." He then pulled back and brushed her hair back again and said, "I've been looking everywhere for you. I know what Elizabeth did and I never cheated on you. I know it. I could never do that to you, C.J. I've been so worried..." He took her back in his arms holding her tight again.

She told him after he pulled back again, "I know, and I'm sorry I ever doubted you. It's just I saw...well, that doesn't matter now. Elizabeth and I..." Then it hit her that Elizabeth wasn't in the room. She asked, "Where's Elizabeth?"

Matt then said, "She called the penthouse and told me you were here. I didn't hear much after that." He still had his arms around her unwilling to let her go just yet.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. Matt told her, "Just lay back down."

C.J. stopped him and said, "No, I'm fine really. I just haven't gotten much sleep, outside of this nap. I got away and back to the beach house."

Matt then sat on the bed beside her and then took out her ring, "I know, I found this. It was your way of letting me know you got away from whoever took you."

He put the ring back on her finger and she smiled, resting her head on his chest again she continued, "Yes it was. I found Elizabeth and Kathleen there. Kathleen was the one who kidnapped me. She hit me over the head I think. I just remember her asking about something in the car and then waking up tied up to a chair, blindfolded."

Matt inhaled sharply as she recounted this. She continued, "I couldn't do much but I did overhear Kathleen and Michael O'Malley talking. They planned to..."

Matt interrupted then and shared what they had figured out at the penthouse and asked how close they were. C.J. told him that was exactly their plan. Only they were looking for her and Elizabeth now to hold the two for ransom.

Matt nodded, still holding C.J. tightly in his arms and said, "I found that list of places they were going to look for you two." He then pulled back and little to tell her about Chris. "Honey, I tried to warn Chris, but..."

C.J.'s breathing got a little faster, "But what...she's safe right?"

Matt took a deep breath and told her, "No, they took her hostage I think."

C.J. stood up then, a little unsteady and said, "No, they took her because they couldn't find us. They took her to hold her for ransom, Matt..." She turned back to him as he had gotten up too and took her back in his arms.

He told her, "I think you're right and that means they plan to keep her alive and use her. That buys us some time to get to her and free her."

C.J. then tried to calm down and said, "Ok, let's go get Elizabeth who must be downstairs and head over to the penthouse. I just hope Chris is ok, I just want her back in the penthouse."

Matt told her, "Jacob does too."

She looked at him confused and asked, "Who?"

He smiled just a little as he rubbed her back as they walked out of the room and back downstairs, "Jacob Warren. Chris reminded me that Jacob is his first name. They're on a first name basis."

She asked, "So he knows...how is he handling it?"

Matt answered, "He's ready to go kill O'Malley."

C.J. told him, "Good."

After getting back downstairs and not finding her, C.J. ran back up to the bedroom. As she ran back down she told Matt waiting at the bottom, "She took my gun."

Matt shook his head, "Just like before. She probably thinks the only way to end this is to go after Kathleen. I don't know where she'd go though."

C.J. told him as she stopped sudden and remembered what they had overheard before, "The docks, there's a warehouse near pier five. She told O'Malley and McKinnon to meet her there. That has to be where Elizabeth went."

They ran out to Matt's car and called Hoyt in the penthouse. He had just taken a phone call from the officers still working at McKinnon's apartment. Those receipts they had found with some kind of code was just broken. They realized that McKinnon and O'Malley had rented 4 warehouses near pier five and were set to be receiving large amounts of plastic explosives to be stored in them. According to what they found, they then planned to put them in vans and put them near significant landmarks and set them off. Apparently though, the warehouses were still empty as the organization had yet to come up with the promised money.

After finding that Warren was already out the door and headed down there. Hoyt was about to leave when C.J. called from the car as Matt drove.

He sighed rather loudly and said, "C.J. thank goodness. Is Houston with you?"

She answered as she tried to hang on as Matt was speeding, "Yes he is and I'm fine. Listen Hoyt, we know where Kathleen, O'Malley and McKinnon were supposed to meet up. Its down on the docks near pier..."

Hoyt interrupted, "Pier five?"

She pulled her hair back and said, "Yes, pier five...how did you know?"

He told her, "We found receipts coded in McKinnon's apartment for leasing them. They planned to gather supplies for another attack but hadn't gotten them yet. Warren is already on his way over there now. They leased 4 different buildings. I'm on my way myself. You and Houston should go back to the beach house and...C.J...C.J." She had hung up.

Matt looked at her confused when she hung up the phone and asked, "What was that all about? Why did you hang up on Hoyt?"

She told him, "I think he was about to tell us to stay out of it. Too back we lost the connection."

Matt smiled a little again and said, "That is too bad. Nice to have you back slick."

She smiled but then said, "I can't just sit at the beach house and wait to find out if Chris is ok." She then looked at Matt again and said, "And I know you're worried about Elizabeth too." She put her hand on his and said, "We'll find both of them, won't we."

He nodded and told her, "Yes we will and they will both be fine. You, though...C.J. I know you don't want to wait at home, but...you've been through alot today and..."

C.J. cut him off and said, "I'm fine, I told you and there is no way I'm going home, don't even start."

Matt then said, "But C.J. you told me you've hardly slept. That isn't going to put you at your best when we get there. Please, just listen to me and wait in the car. I won't ask you to leave, but please, please, just do this for me. You have no idea how scared I've been the last few hours."

As if seeing the toll this was taking on him she very reluctantly agreed. They got there and parked quickly by Warren's car who also just got there.

He got up and walked over, "I came in silent. They shouldn't have any idea an officer is here. There are 4 buildings to look through. I don't know where to start." He ran his hand through his hair.

Matt patted his back and said, "Let's not split up though. There could be two hostages not just one and at least 3 suspects."

Warren looked confused, "Two hostages?"

Matt then explained, "Elizabeth set out here on her own. She wouldn't know how to rescue Chris without being captured herself. Look, lets start with the one to the right and then make our way around to the ones closer to the actual pier."

Warren nodded and the two went guns drawn. Waiting in that car was killing C.J. She looked up and then saw out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth. She seemed confused but still had C.J.'s gun and was holding it in front of her. She seemed to take a deep breath and then went into a small warehouse, not on the list.

C.J. got out of the car. Matt and Warren were no where to be found and since it wasn't on the list she figured Elizabeth wouldn't find anything and she could get her back to the car safety.

She walked over carefully and slowly went in the building. Then she noticed right away where she was, it was the building she had gotten out of earlier, only she was entering through the other side. She started to say something when McKinnon grabbed her and held a gun to her head. "Now just stay quiet and do as I say and no one will get hurt, not you, not her..." He then waved the gun at Elizabeth who was being held by O'Malley, and then said, "and not her." He then motioned to Chris who was tied up in a chair, gagged and blindfolded, probably in the same chair C.J. had been in mere hours ago.

Now C.J. sat in the exact chair she had been in held prisoner in mere hours ago. The man who released her to go to the bathroom finished tying her wrists and then slapped her hard across the face.

She blinked her eyes and rolled her jaw as he told her, "I warned you. You are so lucky she wants you alive right now." C.J. stared at him as he walked back to Kathleen.

Elizabeth saw him hit C.J. as she was also tied in a chair opposite of her. Tears swelling in her eyes she said quietly, "I can't believe any of this...how can you remain so calm when they could kill us at any second."

C.J. told her softly as she watched the two talking, "I don't think that's their plan. I know they have to come up with a new one, but I doubt they have a clear idea as to what to do now." She looked back at Elizabeth as they walked off.

She whispered to Chris who was trembling in the chair just off to her right, "Chris, its me...look don't worry. Matt and Warren are both here and they're both looking for you. They'll find I'm gone and tear this pier up searching. Just stay calm and hang on for me, ok?"

Chris just nodded and then tried to take a deep breath. That's what all three were going to do now, just hang on. At least that's what C.J. thought.


	14. Chapter 14

14

Matt and Warren slowly went into the last of the four buildings. Surely this was the one both Chris and Elizabeth would be in. As they crept around the corner they could hear someone approach. Getting behind two different columns, but facing each other they waited guns drawn for this person to get close enough for them to confront them. This was a different kind of warehouse with offices and the person couldn't have seen either man.

Matt inhaled slowly as he nodded to Warren and just as the person got there, both he and Warren stepped out. They frightened one very nice yet older security guard just making rounds who had noticed three other buildings unlocked.

Matt and Warren lowered their weapons quickly enough and apologized profusely before heading back to the cars.

Matt ran his hand through his air as he waited for Warren just outside that warehouse giving the guard his card to call in case he saw anything. Matt told him as he approached, "I don't know where else to start looking."

Warren told him, "I don't either. This was our best shot. You don't think Elizabeth actually did get the upper hand on them and..."

Matt looked back at him, clearly doubtful. "I think we should head over to the station and go back over what we have. We must have missed something."

They came around the corner and both men noticed C.J. was missing. Warren said as they both stopped and looked at each other, "I thought C.J. was waiting here."

They jogged and Matt started to get that feeling again. He said, "She was...where is she?" They both started to look more closely at their surroundings. It was a maze of warehouses and smaller garages companies kept to store parts to repair their ships. Where would they find all three of them?

Elizabeth had other plans than just hanging on. As soon as Kathleen, O'Malley and McKinnon went into an office to the side, C.J. began trying to work free, but her binds were much tighter than before. Elizabeth's weren't nearly as tight.

Elizabeth got free and looked over at another chair closer to her that O'Malley had put his gun on when tying up C.J. The gun was still there.

C.J. didn't notice right away but when she saw Elizabeth move she whispered excitedly, "Elizabeth, untie me. We'll get Chris and get out of here."

Elizabeth slowly picked up the gun and looked over at the window with the three captors. She looked almost in a trance. She turned back to Chris and loosened the binds and then loosened C.J.'s binds, but didn't undo them all the way.

C.J., as loud as she could without the three hearing her asked Elizabeth, "What are you doing, just untie me and Chris and we can get out of here. Matt and Warren will handle them..." Then it dawned on her, Elizabeth was going to take out the three herself, or at least try.

Elizabeth then just looked at her and then the gun before saying, "Just get Chris out of here. I started this mess and I can finish it."

C.J. had to stop her, given that it was taking her longer to get untied and Elizabeth was starting to make her way over she kept saying again, as loud as possible without getting the captor's attention, "Elizabeth no, listen, Matt is just outside ok, he's here on the docks, he brought me over here from your house, please just listen to me..."

Elizabeth kept walking as C.J. frantically now got untied. Chris was finishing up as well when the gunshots started to ring out.

_Shot...Shot...Shot. _At the sound of the first shot Matt and Warren started to duck and then looked at each other.

Warren said, "I think its coming from that building over there." They took off running and could hear talking. The talking truly relieved them as the three shots could have been deliberate and they both secretly feared all three women had been shot.

What they heard was Elizabeth talking and three other voices shouting at her. She was yelling at them, "I'm not good at this, just stay still. I can't let you hurt anyone else I love." She fired again.

Kathleen then yelled out, "Elizabeth...listen I know what you're thinking, but they made me. They forced me to work against you. I really am your friend. I only want what's best for you. Think about it, you and I, we make one really good team. Join us..."

She fired again and then dried a tear, "No, no I can't join you. I know what you do and you hurt people..."

Kathleen then said, "No, Elizabeth, that's just what people say about us. Please, listen to me. I'm your real friend. Mr. Houston betrayed you, didn't he? He married that woman right after he left you, he's not your friend. I am, please listen to me, I am your friend and together we can accomplish something bigger than he ever did."

Elizabeth started to look down and C.J., who had gotten free then cautiously walked over to Elizabeth. Matt saw this and was trying to gesture to her to run out the other side, but she didn't see him. She said to Elizabeth, "Elizabeth, listen to me. You know what she's saying isn't true. You know Matt loves you. You're his friend and he will always be there for you. That's what a true friend is. Think about it. He brought you into his home and has been fighting to find you this whole time. He only wants you to be safe and happy."

Kathleen then shouted out, "Don't listen to her, she's the reason he isn't with you anymore. She stole him from you."

C.J. told her, more calmly, "Elizabeth you know in your heart what's right. You don't want to do this, it would be a premeditated homicide. You're giving up the rest of your life if you shoot them. Please, I know the laws, just please give me the gun."

Matt and Warren had cautiously started making their way around the small building out of sight of the three in the office.

Warren got over to Chris quickly enough and pulled her into a tight embrace. She grabbed on to him just a little tighter than he did. He pulled her back and then asked, "Are you alright? Seriously, I can have an ambulance here in seconds. Tell me, you're alright."

She looked up at him as he softly pulled up the blindfold and with tears in her eyes said, "I am so much better now. Just don't let me go for a little while."

He pulled her to him just a little more and whispered, "Never let you go."

Matt walked carefully to stand behind the two women and said, "Elizabeth, C.J. is right and you know it." He started to wedge himself between the two women and essentially standing between C.J., Elizabeth and the three still in that room. If bullets did start flying he wanted to shield her.

Elizabeth looked down and then into Matt's eyes, eyes she had never really been able to resist and nodded.

She slowly handed Matt the gun. At that point, Kathleen who had seen all this and still had Matt's gun drew it and began firing back at her.

Matt in that instant when she pulled it pushed Elizabeth and then threw C.J. to the ground covering her with his body. As if on instinct, Elizabeth could see where Matt had made his choice between the two. He loved C.J. As the bullets flew around her, scared out of her mind, she looked back to see him willing to give his life for C.J.

Warren had done the same with Chris. In that split second Chris had started to panic but having Warren there trying so hard to protect her and it seemed, willing to take bullets for her, she held on to him as she cried into his chest.

It wasn't even a whole second after Kathleen started firing that Hoyt and his men came rushing in, shouting out for her to cease firing. When she turned her gun in his direction, Hoyt fired one shot and took her out.

Hoyt then rushed over to Elizabeth, all alone still on the ground, not moving very fast to get up. She just nodded when he asked her if she was ok.

Matt rolled over to C.J.'s side, panic starting to set in for that brief half second when she wasn't moving. She put her head up and looked at him, "Are you ok? Did you get hit anywhere?" she asked.

He asked her, "I'm fine, are you?" He started pushing her hair back and then looked her up and down.

She told him with a smile, "I'm just fine, now." He started to help her up.

Matt then turned back to check on Elizabeth and found that she maybe was shaken up but ok. Matt and C.J. looked at each other and then back at Hoyt's officers who had already cuffed the two men and were leading them out.

Then they heard a moan and Chris start to cry. Both look sharply back and saw Chris crying over Warren who clearly took a bullet to the back.

Hoyt was telling officers around him, "Call in officer down and I want that ambulance now!"

Chris was crying, "No, oh no, not him, please..."

Both got up and went to her, C.J. took her in her arms while Matt knelt down and put his arm around her too. "Hang on Chris, we don't know how serious it is, it may not be as bad as it looks."

His words were meant to comfort her, but all she could see was him bleeding. She only got out, "He was protecting me. Its my fault, he could die because of me, no...no" Then she dissolved into tears.

Matt and C.J. had to pull Chris back from Warren's still body as paramedics got him ready for transport to the hospital. She kept crying and C.J. took over as Elizabeth just stood there in a daze watching everything. Matt had looked at C.J. who nodded back to him. They were communicating without words again.

Matt walked over to Elizabeth and put an arm around her, leading her out of the building, "Come on, let me take you home. Its been a rough few days and you probably need your rest."

Elizabeth told him, "I did all this. I brought all these people into your lives and..."

Matt stopped her and said, "You didn't do this Elizabeth. Those people were trying to hurt you. I told you before you left 6 months ago that I would always be your friend and that you could come to me. I wanted you to come to me when all this started. Now I know we have more to discuss, but right now, let me take you home and then get back to the hospital. Once I know Warren will be fine, we can talk then. Let's go."

He did just that and then met up with Hoyt, C.J. and Chris at the hospital where they were all just praying Warren was going to make it.

Hoyt had just left to make a few calls when Chris turned to C.J. and said, "I always knew you worried when Houston would get hurt. He's been shot more times than I can count, but I guess I never really got how it felt until now."

C.J. nodded and told her, "You know, the first time I couldn't sit down, I just kept pacing in the waiting room. Then, the next time I tried sitting down and drinking coffee, which was a huge mistake by the way because it just made me even more nervous. It never really gets easier I guess. The only thing that has really changed is that I know more now. Before just hearing he was shot sent me into a panic. Now I ask where he was shot and that tells me more. It allows me to manage my state of panic I guess."

Chris nodded her head and then asked after swallowing hard, "You saw his injury...how much should I be panicking right now?"

C.J. swallowed hard herself. She knew a shot to the back could be really bad. Given what looked like the point of entry, he could have damage to a kidney, lung or even his heart. It appeared to have spared his spine, which is another big issue when it came to back wounds.

C.J. took a deep breath and then said, "It didn't hit his spine, I know that. There are a couple of organs it may have hit, but then again, it may not have. Just try to relax for now until we know more alight. Just sit back here." Chris sat back and C.J. kept holding her as they waited for doctors to finish surgery.

Matt got there and sat down on the other side of Chris. When she would lean forward to put her head in her hands Matt and C.J. would look at each other and Matt would touch her face and mouth, I love you, before they would rub Chris' back. She would mouth it back.

After about 2 hours Hoyt sat down by Matt and said, "I always hate this. The waiting...knowing one of my men, one I'm responsible for is laying on some table because of some suspect. You never get used to it."

Matt sat back and told him, "Warren will pull through this I know." Hoyt just nodded and then rubbed his face. Matt then asked, "You have the two in custody?"

Hoyt then answered, "Yes I do. They've already confessed to the kidnapping, won't say anything about what we found in McKinnon's apartment though. We may be turning them over to British officials on that one. Embassy here already saw what we found and they want to talk to them. Kathleen's body will be shipped to Dublin. That organization is still alive it seems and have claimed the body."

Matt then said, "They found out awful fast, but I guess they still have people here."

Hoyt nodded and said, "They do and they will take care of all that. Since she fired the shot that hit Warren, we can't really hold the other two on that. Only the kidnappings, but once British officials get finished with their interrogation, we'll sit down and talk. Either way, those two are going away for a long time. And with what we found Deborah isn't getting out anytime soon either."

Matt told him, "Good. I know Elizabeth will feel better about that. This was hard on her too."

Hoyt then asked, "I'm a little surprised you've being so forgiving. I thought you'd be angry with what she tried to do, trying to come between you and C.J."

Matt nodded and told him, "Well, we will definitely be talking about that. I think she came back with the expectation that we would pick up where we left off. I thought I made it clear to her that wasn't the case, but she was being manipulated too. She was conned and then attacked twice. We know they weren't serious attempts perhaps, but she didn't. They wanted to scare her and they did that. We'll never be as close again, but I still don't want anything bad to happen to her. I think I did love her once, it just wasn't anything like what I have with C.J."

Hoyt nodded and all of them sat there for another 2 very long hours. Matt had just come back with two cups of coffee for Chris and C.J. when the doctor walked in and put his mask down. He said, "The surgery is over..."


	15. Chapter 15

15

Matt walked into Elizabeth's house. He got upstairs where he had seen her before, packing her things. He asked her, "Going somewhere?"

She nodded and closed her eyes for a second. Hadn't they just done this scene 6 months ago? She said, "Yes I am..." She turned back around and continued, "I'm leaving. This time for good. I thought all this was just proof that we were supposed to be together. I really thought I handled everything so well in Ireland, the car and the snake in the pool and..." Her voice trailed off for a second. "I thought that since I had my own enemies and that I had handled them, that it meant we were supposed to be together, fighting those enemies together. I was wrong."

She turned back around so Matt wouldn't see her cry. He put his hands on her shoulder and told her, "I never wanted to see you hurt, ever. I thought I did everything I could to protect you. I need to know why you drugged me." She froze but he kept going, "I need to know why you would do that. Cause C.J. to think I cheated on her with you. Even if you had succeed and driven that wedge between us. Why would you do that me? Don't you know how much pain that would have caused me?"

Elizabeth turned around slowly, put her head down, swallowed and then looked back up at him, "I thought I could make you happy. I thought I did that for you once upon a time. Was I wrong? Didn't I make you happy once?"

Matt hated seeing the pain in her eyes but he had to answer her, "Yes you did, once. But now, I love C.J., Elizabeth. As much as I never wanted to see you hurt, I never in my life want to see that look in her eyes again, that pain at thinking that I cheated on her, that I would leave her. I know what we had was special and I'm sorry I didn't see it even then, but I've loved C.J. all my life. She's the only woman I ever want as my wife. I don't mean to hurt you Elizabeth, but that's the way it is."

She swallowed again and then turned back to zip up her bag. Elizabeth tried pulling it off the bed, but Matt stopped her. She told him, "I just need to get away for a while."

Matt asked, "Where are you going?"

She told him, trying to clear the tears before he saw them, "Europe, somewhere, I don't know exactly. I chartered a plane just before you got here. I have a place on the French Riviera and I think I'll just go there for a while. Its where my father used to go to think sometimes. It always reminds me of him. I guess I'll go there and think for a while."

Matt nodded and then told her as he picked up her bag, "Here, let me get this and give you a ride."

She looked at him confused, "Why would you want to do that? After what I did..."

Matt then put the bag on the floor and told her as he slowly put his hands on her shoulders, "You were manipulated and conned. You've been through a lot for over a year now. I think going away someplace secluded is a very good idea. You can always call me Elizabeth, you just need to understand that I love C.J. and I'm never leaving her."

She nodded and the two left.

Back at the hospital Chris walked slowly into that hospital room. C.J. waited at the door just in case Chris needed her. Warren lay on a bed with an IV and lots of machines around him. A nurse was just taking off the finger pulse detector and blood pressure cuff.

She took a deep breath and sat down on the bed beside him saying softly, "I never thought I'd meet anyone who would sweep me off my feet the way you have." She brushed away a tear and took his hand, "You know, I guess this gets you out of that concert I wanted to go to doesn't it."

She put her head down and started to cry when she heard, "No it doesn't..." Warren opened his eyes slowly.

Chris smiled still with tears and said, "I think it does. That doctor was clear, you don't get out of here for a week. That puts your release just one day before."

Warren then tried to sit up and said, "Oh, they're just overreacting. I'll be out of here in couple of days. They just don't wanna get sued in case I have to come in here and get my stitches redone or something. I'll be just fine and you and I are going to go to that concert, if I have to drag this IV pole with me."

She started to chuckle and then held him tightly. He whispered back in her ear, "I'm just so glad, you're ok. I was so worried, but they told me when I woke up you were just fine in the waiting room."

She told him, "I wasn't just fine...I wasn't just fine until now." C.J. peeked in and smiled as the two embraced each other tightly.

C.J. started to get a little dizzy again and almost feel back. Matt had just come in, gotten the room number as all the doctor had told them before was that Warren would survive and was being moved to a regular room in an hour.

He caught her as she appeared to almost faint and said, "Hey there...why don't we go sit down somewhere, huh?"

She looked at him with that concerned look on his face, smiled and nodded. They found a nice quiet corner of a waiting room and he helped her sit down before running to go get her some orange juice.

She took it and smiled saying, "This is really sweet, but not necessary. I just need to go home and take about a 10 hour nap."

He insisted, "Here, just drink this anyway. Humor me, alright?" Matt put the cup up to her lips while he rubbed her back.

C.J. started to chuckle which wasn't good since she was trying to drink something. He pulled it back and asked, "What's so funny?"

She told him, "You...I'm just fine Matt. Its just been a rough couple of days."

Matt put the cup down and told her, "I know...Listen C.J. I know what you thought you saw and..."

She put her finger over his lips and said, "I know you were drugged, but seeing you with her, well...I guess it just brought back a lot of feelings, ones I had when you were going to marry her 6 months ago."

Matt nodded and told her, "I'm not in love with her C.J., only with you."

She smiled and told him, "I know, and I even reprimanded myself later for even thinking you'd ever be unfaithful." She looked down and rubbed her forehead, "Then Kathleen kidnapped me before I could tell you and when I got away I had to get Elizabeth away from her and..."

Matt took his hand and put it softly on her chin and asked, "What happened after you got away? I was so worried when you went missing again."

She told him about hiding out in the motel, how the phone didn't work and Elizabeth wouldn't believe her. His brows went up when she told him she had to basically kidnap Elizabeth to make her see that Kathleen was working against her. Then hearing everything O'Malley, McKinnon and Kathleen had worked out both when she was held and then later when Elizabeth finally got the message.

Matt then told her, "You know I never would have stopped looking for you. Their plan would never have worked."

She smiled and told him, "I know that and I tried to tell Elizabeth that too. Then I guess she decided to take care of everything on her own."

Matt nodded as she took another deep breath and closed her eyes. He told her, "Look, Chris will be fine and I doubt needs us to stay here. I'm sure she wants Warren all to herself. I already talked to the doctor and he told me she can stay here with him if she wants tonight. I want to get you home, you look very tired and that may not be surprising if..." He started to smile at her and then looked very confused when she looked down and took a deep breath. "What's wrong?"

She told him, "I'm not pregnant, Matt. That's what I wanted to talk about that night and I think that's why I was convinced when I saw you at Elizabeth's. She acted like she was talking to you and said that if I was pregnant, you two would just wait until I had the baby. We hadn't told her and I didn't know, how she would know that and I hadn't told you that I failed to do that this month."

Matt brushed the hair from her face and said very softly, "Failed to do that? C.J. you didn't fail to do anything. Didn't the doctor tell you it could take more than one month to get pregnant?"

She nodded and he continued as he took her in his arms, "Then let's not worry about it yet, hum. All that means is that we have four more weeks of very pleasurable work ahead of us. Come on, let's go home."

After checking with Chris and Warren one more time, they walked out arm in arm and he drove her home. Then they ate, she took a nap and they cleaned out all of Elizabeth's and Kathleen's things. That night they cuddled in bed as C.J. shared all her fears with him about having problems getting pregnant and he tried to allay each one again. She drifted off to sleep in his arms. He kissed her forehead and thought to himself how good it felt to just be in bed with her and this was how he wanted it to be for the rest of his life.


End file.
